


Accidents Happen

by frickfrackpaddywack



Category: Original Work
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Amputation, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Attempted Murder, Blood and Gore, Blow Jobs, Boots - Freeform, Collars, Come Inflation, Contracts, Crying, Desperation, Dirty Talk, Dom/sub Undertones, Emotions, Enemies to Lovers, Explosions, Fire, Forced Bonding, Forced Orgasm, Fuck Or Die, Hunting, Hurt/Comfort, Immobilization, Loss of Control, M/M, Magic, Manipulation, Masturbation, Murder, Near Death Experiences, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Non-Consensual Oral Sex, Ownership, Pain, Painful Erection, Panic Attacks, Potions, Punishment, Rape, Rape/Non-con Elements, Self-Denial, Sex Magic, Soul Bond, Swords, Telepathy, Tenderness, Torture, Trauma, Unconsciousness, Unexpected feelings, Violence, Witchcraft, dragon - Freeform, drowning nightmare, living prosthetic, magical erection, non-graphic animal death, orgasm as punishment, unwanted arousal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-05
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-05 16:01:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 25
Words: 83,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15174290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frickfrackpaddywack/pseuds/frickfrackpaddywack
Summary: When Alex tries a new spell, things go horribly awry. Now his main concern is to orgasm before he dies...there's just one little catch....he needs his enemy's help.Now starring: Magic induced boners, desperation, and lots of wanting to cum, but not being able to!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Original Characters?? Heck yeah I did! ~~Just a one-shot for now sadly,~~ It's going to have more chapters, hurray!
> 
> As always, heed the warnings.

In retrospect, Alex shouldn’t have been playing with an unknown spell. He knew that. It was a stupid thing to do. He had many regrets. His main regret however was the painful erection pushing against the seam of his jeans. He rubbed at it, moaning as pleasure rocked through his core. This was not what he thought the spell was supposed to do. Still, he needed to deal with this before he could figure out where he went wrong.

 

He unzipped his jeans, and pushed them down with his boxers, gasping as the cool air hit his cock.

 

“Fuck,” he swore, as he wrapped his hand around himself. He had never been so hard in his life. His cock was leaking so much that drops kept hitting the floor. He stroked himself with quick, hard pulls that created a perfect rhythm. The pleasure tingled through him, and he could feel himself quickly reaching climax. He curled his toes against the floor, leaning back against his couch, and – nothing. Nothing happened. He still felt the insistent urge to cum, and his balls were aching with need, and yet – nothing happened. He tried again. He stroked himself slower this time, teasing himself, running his thumb through the mess leaking from the tip. He was there – could feel himself about to come – then nothing. Again.

 

“What the hell,” he gasped, panting as he came down a bit. His body was still thrumming with desire though, and it didn’t seem to be stopping.

 

Alright, new plan. He would take a cold shower, and wait for it to go away. He kicked off his jeans the rest of the way, and stripped off his shirt as he raced to the bathroom, his aching cock bobbing between his legs. Each step was torture, and he was moaning with need by the time he made it down the short hallway to his bathroom. He turned on the shower, even as his other hand absentmindedly stroked himself. The water was freezing, and it stung as he forced himself into the shower. He let out a pained hiss as the icy water hit the heat of his cock. After several minutes he had to give up. His body was shivering, and even still, his erection wouldn’t go away.

 

He turned off the water, and didn’t even bother drying off. He ran back to the living room, leaving wet footprints in his wake. The spell book was sitting open still, the page he had used looking far too innocent. He was panting, and rubbing himself against his hand, even as he sat on the couch again. He bit his lip, stifling a desperate mewl of pleasure and pain as he humped the air for a moment in desperation. His body was aching from the need coursing through him, and still he couldn’t cum.

 

The words on the page blurred in front of him, as he pulled the huge tome onto his lap. The pleasure was burning in his mind, making it almost impossible to concentrate. He whined as his hips bucked up against his will, and hit the back of the book in his lap. It was too much, and yet not nearly enough.

 

He needed to cum, and whatever the spell was, he couldn’t do it. He felt frustrated beyond measure. Tears pricked his eyes, and he wiped at them with the back of his hand. He needed to keep it together.

 

Alex looked over the page he had gotten the spell from, wondering if maybe he had done something wrong. He had used all the right herbs, and said the right words. He flipped to the previous page to see if maybe he had read the description wrong, when he noticed it. A small sliver of a torn out page. Shit.

 

“Where’s the rest of it?!” he demanded of the book, flipping it over and rifling through the pages. Each movement set him on edge, and he wondered how long he could last before he lost his mind. There, at the very back, was a loose page. It fell out, onto the floor, and he practically threw himself at it. He quickly skimmed the page.

 

“What do you mean if I don’t orgasm, I’ll die??” he shrieked.

 

What kind of sadistic asshole came up with this spell? He read the rest of it, looking for some clue as to how to make himself come.

 

“You’re greatest enemy,” he mumbled, reading aloud. “Something, something, can’t cum on your own...blah, blah...the person who’s hair you used must complete the spell...I need _him_ to make me cum?! What the fuck!” he screamed, even as his body shuddered with the growing pleasure. His mind was getting hazy. If he didn’t act fast, he would die for sure.

 

He pulled out his cell phone and debated who to call. He didn’t want to call _him_. He was into dark magic...but in the end it was really the only number he could call.

 

_Ring._

 

_Ring._

 

“Pick up, you bastard!” he yelled at the phone.

 

“Well, hello to you too,” Felix said. He sounded so smug. Alex could almost see his stupid smug face, and wanted to punch it. Except he needed that smug facehere, to keep him alive. Fuck, he didn’t need the thought of blowjobs right then.

 

“Felix, I need your help,” he panted into the phone. He bit his lip so hard he tasted blood, as he tried not to let out his moans over the phone.

 

“Oh?” Felix said. “Whatever have you gotten yourself into this time, my dear Alex?” he asked, voice low, and teasing. “You know I don’t help your kind for free,” he added in a more serious tone. His voice was like a caress against his ear, and it was driving him mad with need.

 

“Listen, just get to my place – I know you know where I live - let’s not pretend, okay? And just let yourself in – I know you can do that too. I’ll be in my room,” he said, gasping as he accidentally nudged his cock with the book. It was too much, and he was pretty sure he’d go insane before Felix got there, but whatever.

 

“Also, hurry. Cause I might actually die,” Alex said, before hanging up. He didn’t need to know what smug thing Felix would say.

 

He shoved the book onto the couch beside him, and hurried to his bedroom. He crawled onto his bed, face first, and almost started to cry when his cock dragged across the rumpled sheets. Without thought, he started to rub himself against the bed, rutting against the blanket like an animal in heat. His dick was getting sore from all the touching, but if he stopped he would most definitely die. He fumbled for the bottle of lube he kept in his nightstand. He pulled out a few random things, tossing them across the room, before finally landing on the bottle he needed. He popped the cap open, and squirted some on his hand, and wrapped his hand around his cock again. It was bliss – the smooth slide of his cool, wet hand against his burning hot skin. Even though he knew it wouldn’t work, and that jerking off would, in fact, make the arousal worse, he couldn’t stop.

 

He pressed his forehead into the mattress, and got some lube onto his other hand, and reached around behind himself. A delicious idea had popped into his head, and now that it was there, he had to do it. He slipped his finger between his ass cheeks, and pressed against his hole. His whole body rocked with shock of pleasure. He circled his finger for a moment, and then pushed ever so slightly into himself. He hadn’t played with his ass in a long time, and he was suddenly wondering why not. The pressure, and stretch of even just one finger felt incredible. He imagined what it would be like to have something bigger in there, and let out a needy whine. Fuck, he needed -

 

“Alex?” Felix sang from the front room.

 

Alex felt a war of emotions go through him. On the one hand, he desperately wanted to be fucked, and Felix was probably capable. On the other hand – it was Felix. That evil bastard would never let him live this down. Still, he _needed_ Felix to fuck him in order to complete the messed up spell. He really hoped it worked.

 

“Ale-ex?”Felix called again. Now Alex could hear him walking down the hallway towards his room.

 

“You better have not called me here for nothing,” Felix said. “If the council found out I was helping a white witch they would be furio-oh my god. Well, I expected a lot of things, but you ass up with your fingers buried inside you was not one of them,” Felix said.

 

Alex was grateful he couldn’t see his face. He probably looked smug, and far too pleased.

 

“So, you need a little sex help?” Felix asked, circling towards the side of the bed.

 

“I -ah!” Alex cried out, as Felix lightly dragged a finger from Alex’s neck to his ass. He shuddered, mewling with need as his body followed his touch.

 

“What ever happened to make you like this, my dear?” Felix asked, voice deep with want and curiosity.

 

“I was trying to do a spell and I didn’t realize a page was mmm- missing, and I can’t cum without you, and if I don’t cum I’ll literally die,” he confessed.

 

“Oh my, that is quite the problem isn’t it. What spell _were_ you trying to do?”Felix asked, sharp fingers twisting in Alex’s hair. He cried out as it sent waves of pleasure and pain through him, and straight to his aching cock. “It’s obvious that it was supposed to involve me in some way,” he said.

 

“I – just a little joke – _not this_ ,” he promised. “I didn’t even know that the page was missing until after I had done the spell,” he said.

 

“Hmm, well, I suppose since there is the possibility of death, I could make an exception and help you – for a price of course,” he said, sliding in behind Alex. He reached around Alex and batted his hand away from his leaking cock. He grasped it firmly, and Alex let out a broken sob, as the pleasure, and the _right_ ness filled him, the magic already beginning to connect.

 

“What do you want?” Alex asked, trying to move his hips. Felix held him firmly in place and just held his cock, slowly circling the head with his thumb.

 

“What I’ve always wanted, darling. You, by my side. Only now, because you’ve made things so difficult, I want you to swear your everything over to me, to do with as I please, with no ands, ifs, or buts,” he said. There was the smugness again.

 

“Are you insane?” Alex asked.

 

“Well, if you’re that alright with death, then by all means,” Felix said, as he slowly unwrapped his fingers from around Alex’s cock.

 

“No! Wait – I...can’t we talk about this after?” Alex asked.

 

“When you have no incentive to pay me back? I think not,” Felix scoffed. “I must say though, I rather like you like this, all hard, and aching, and needy,” he crooned. He bent over Alex, and the feeling of him against his back made him want to rub against him like a cat. Felix left soft kisses against Alex’s neck, shoulder, and back that had Alex keening.

 

“Say you’ll be mine,” he said softly, the warmth of his breath teasing Alex’s skin.

 

Alex knew he didn’t have a real choice, that anything other than a yes would lead to his death. He felt pulled tighter than a bow, and his mind was too hazy to argue. He rolled onto his back, and wrapped his arms and legs around Felix.

 

“Fuck me,” he begged.

 

“Not without a ‘yes’ first,” Felix said. He lowered himself so their cocks could slide against each other, the material of Felix’s trousers doing nothing to solve his need. He didn’t want to die, and as much as Felix wanted him however, Alex wasn’t convinced he wouldn’t let him die just out of spite.

 

“Yes,” he whispered, so quiet he wasn’t even sure he had said it aloud.

 

“What was that, dear?” Felix asked as he sucked spots onto Alex’s skin.

 

“Yes, alright? You win!” Alex snapped. “Now, fuck me,” he said, pulling Felix into a biting kiss.

 

Felix pulled back for a moment, and snapped his fingers. A glowing orb appeared, and Alex knew what it was – a contract. He had to sign with blood. Felix grabbed Alex’s left hand, pricked the finger with one of his claw like nails, and held out the orb. Alex sighed, and pressed the bleeding digit against the orb. It glowed red, and then disappeared. His fate was sealed. Felix grabbed his hand again, and sucked on the bleeding finger. Alex didn’t think he could be anymore red in the face, and yet somehow this was what had him blushing.

 

“Say ‘Please Master, make me cum’,” Felix said after a moment.

 

Alex shook himself, snapping his mouth shut with indignation. Felix kissed his cheek, and snapped his hips forward, making Alex moan from the delicious friction. Fuck.

 

“P-please Master,” he said, trying not choke on the disgust he felt with himself. “Make me cum,” he finished. He at least meant the last part.

 

“Good boy,” Felix cooed. Alex wanted to hate the way that soft tone made him go all squirmy inside, but couldn’t right then. Felix yanked Alex’s head back by his hair, and bit down where his throat met his shoulder. With a wave of his other hand, Felix was naked, his own erection free to rub against Alex’s aching cock. Alex gasped, the sharp pain mixed with the heady pleasure making him buck up, his back arching off the bed.

 

“Are you open enough?” Felix asked, as he slid his hand down Alex’s body to his waiting entrance.

 

“Yes,” he panted. He wasn’t sure if that was true, but he sure did hope it was, because he was done waiting.

 

Without warning, Felix lined himself up, and pressed in, his cock sliding in with one hard push. They both groaned, Alex at the feeling of fullness and completion, and Felix at how tight Alex was. He didn’t give much time to adjust, and pulled back, just to thrust in with force. Alex could feel his body shaking, with need, and he clung to Felix’s arms, and chest, moving as best he could to match each thrust. His mind was quickly going blank, and he soon lost himself to the intense pleasure.

 

Felix shifted for a moment, and Alex let out a pleasured cry, as sparks of pleasure shot up his spine, and he found himself baring down on that spot, begging for more.

 

“Please, please, please,” Alex chanted over and over, as he got closer to cumming. It was so good, and he was so tired, and he _needed_ Felix to make him cum.

 

“Shh, almost there, love,” Felix gasped. He reached between them, and wrapped his hand around Alex’s leaking cock. He fucked him hard, and fast, the only sounds being their panting, and the slide of skin on skin. Alex could feel himself on the edge, and he curled his toes into the sheets, his fingers digging into Felix’s arms, as he arched off the bed again, his head thrown back against the mattress, as he screamed.

 

“Come on, cum for me,” Felix commanded.

 

That was it. Alex felt the magic complete itself as he came. He let out a desperate cry of relief as power hummed through him, and the spell finally relented. He clung to Felix, his body shaking as waves of pleasure shot through him. It was too much, and his mind went blank for a moment, the world fading to nothing but the intensity of his orgasm. Felix fucked him through it, and only stilled right at the end as he came too.

 

They lay there panting, Felix flopping down beside Alex, as they both tried to catch their breath. A sharp, burning lit up on Alex’s arm and he screamed. Felix grabbed him but he couldn’t hear what he was saying. As the pain receded, he looked down at his arm, and there was a mark that looked like Felix’s magical signature burned into his skin.

 

“Did you do that?” Alex asked, glaring at Felix with wet eyes. It probably wasn’t very intimidating, but it was the best he could do when he was fucked out, and in pain.

 

“Sadly, no. I believe that might have been your spell – what did you say it did again?” Felix asked.

 

Alex just shrugged. He hadn’t exactly read it thoroughly – what with the erection of death and all. Felix groaned in frustration. Alex could almost feel the other man’s emotions, just bubbling under the surface of his own. It was strange...and not an expected outcome at all – but then what was at that point?

 

“To the living room?” Felix asked.

 

Alex thought about that, and knew it would be wiser to figure it out sooner rather than later...but maybe after a short nap? After all, he’d think much more clearly once he’d had some time to recuperate a bit. He threw an arm around Felix, and pulled him back onto the bed.

 

“Sleep now, freak out later,” he said.

 

“You’re taking this awfully well for someone who sold their very existence to me,” Felix said, rubbing soft circles on Alex’s now marked arm.

 

Alex felt his whole body go stiff as that particular detail came flooding back.

 

“I’m not calling you ‘Master’ again,” he said between clenched teeth.

 

“We’ll see,” Felix said. He really was a smug bastard. “In the mean time, sleep? Or would you rather we deal with this little mishap of yours, hmm?” he asked.

 

Alex groaned, and shoved Felix in the side. Why did he have to be reasonable now? Why couldn’t he have been reasonable while saving Alex’s life? He rolled over, and sat up on the edge of his bed. He ran a hand through his wavy hair, that was now a giant mess, and swore when he got caught on a tangle.

 

“Alright, fine. To the living room, I guess,” he grumbled.

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What did that spell do??

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright, so i know this was originally a one-shot, but I loved the characters, and with some encouragement I decided to write more! Let's see if I can't keep this going :D

The living room was a mess. It hadn’t exactly been clean to begin with, but now there were little pools of precum everywhere, and it was gross. Alex could feel himself blushing, the heat rising in his cheeks. He’d need to wash the floor. Felix didn’t seem to notice as he went over to the couch, and picked up the spell book. He grimaced as his hand hit the back of the book however, and he wiped his hand on his trousers. Alex was going to die of embarrassment.

 

“Now,” Felix said, as he sat down. “Let’s see what’s been done to you, hmm?” he hummed, as he flipped the page over in his hands.

 

Alex’s dirty clothes were still on the floor, and while he had gotten dressed in clean clothes, he thought he should probably tidy up a bit while Felix read. He picked them up, and brought them to the hamper. He was halfway back to the living room when he heard Felix swear loudly.

 

“For fuck’s sake, who came up with this? Why do you even have something this dark?” he called from the living room. “When I find out who gave you this, I’m going to burn them to ashes!”

 

Alex ran to the other room, sliding across the floor in his socks, as he came to a stop next to the couch. Felix’s brow was pulled down tight, and he was frowning like it was his job, and only joy in life. He patted the seat next to him, with a loud slap of his palm. Alex rolled his eyes, but sat anyway.

 

Felix folded his hands over the spell book, and gently placed them on top. He turned just a touch so he was facing Alex more, his frown never once leaving his face. He began to speak, and then stopped, and then started, and then stopped again. He looked like a fish.

 

“Is it that bad?” Alex asked, tired of waiting.

 

“Is it that- ah ha ha ha, oh my dear, sweet Alex, light of my life, and the beat of my heart. Do you have any fucking idea what you’ve done?” Felix asked, his suprisingly light tone turning sharp.

 

Alex was suddenly very aware of the fact that Felix was not a user of white magic, and that he had fewer qualms about injuring others when he was angry. He swallowed hard, and shook his head ‘no’. Felix sighed, and lay back against the couch, his head hanging over a bit so he was staring at the ceiling. Alex could almost feel his emotions rolling off of him – fear and anger mixed together.

 

“You’ve bound our souls together, for eternity, you lovable idiot,” he said. “My magic is your magic, your life is my life. We performed a magical ritual that has ensured that if you die, I die - for example,” he said, peeking at Alex just so he could glare at him. “You may have noticed it already, but I can feel your emotions right now, and I bet you can feel mine too,” he explained. “And it’s only going to get worse from here.”

 

Alex gaped at him for several moments, trying to process that. There was no way that such a simple, if deadly, spell did all that, was there?

 

“You were already planning on keeping me for life -” he reasoned.

 

“Yes, but you would die of old age some day – all natural like – and I would move on. You know I have a longer life span than you,” he said. “Will you age, and die, and take me with you? Or will my life span elongate yours? What about magic? I can feel yours in my veins...did you know it feels like sunshine? How can you possibly be that precious?” he demanded of the ceiling, as he waved his arms about in frustration.

 

Alex wanted to say something but all he could feel was a cold iciness inside himself, spreading through his body until he felt almost numb with it. There was also a loud, screeching wail of anxiety building in the back of his mind. He didn’t know when it had started, but now he was shaking, and he couldn’t stop feeling it. He blinked, and the room swam before his eyes as anxiety and power overwhelmed him.

 

“Felix, I- “ he started, only to hiccup on a terrible sob that wracked his entire body.

 

“Shit!” Felix swore loudly. “Alex, darling, you need to calm down,” Felix said as all the lights flickered.

 

The problem was that Alex could feel that whatever was happening was making Felix nervous too. His fingers were tingling, and power crackled over his skin, like electricity needing to discharge. He could feel it thrumming through his body, and knew somewhere in his mind that he needed to stop it, but he couldn’t calm down. He was panicking, his breathing coming in short gasps as he tried to suppress what he was feeling. It was too much.

 

“Close your eyes!” Felix shouted.

 

Alex couldn’t see anything but black for a moment, as he snapped his eyes shut. Then there, in his mind a flickering thread of silver and gold, all intertwined, appeared. His mind was a storm of energy and emotions, and he didn’t know what to do, or where to go, but something told him he should grab the thread. When he grabbed hold it the storm stopped. Just like that, it was like he could breathe again.

 

He opened his eyes, and Felix had him by the face, chanting something quickly, and quietly. He wasn’t blinking, or moving, and his face looked kind of distorted – too sharp and angular. The room though....pretty much every light object in the room was floating, and flying slowly across the small apartment. Coffee spilled from a cup that had been on the counter as it flipped upside down in mid air. Alex took a shuddering breath, and released it, and as the air left his lungs, everything crashed to the floor.

 

“Holy shit -” he whispered, gasping as sharp nails dug into the side of his face.

 

“So – we need to work on your control of _my_ powers that are now running through you,” Felix said, finally blinking.

 

“Your uh...those were your powers?” Alex asked.

 

“Yes,” Felix said, pulling away from Alex. “And I would appreciate it if you didn’t do that again. They have tendency to explode when not controlled properly,” he added pointedly -as if Alex should have known that little detail already.

 

“How do you deal with that?” Alex asked. It was so much – _too_ much if he was being honest. He had felt completely overwhelmed, like he was drowning in a sea of ice and darkness. “That was...they’re so strong. I didn’t realize...oh god, you really could have killed me all those times. You probably wouldn’t even have had to blink – why...why did you let me go?” Alex wondered aloud, his mind jumping from one thought to anther. He had fought Felix before, and had walked away each time, often with barely a scratch. It was rather obvious now that Felix had ‘let him win’.

 

“Why would you let me live?” he demanded, pushing Felix back. He realized that he had been the kid at the grownups table this entire time, and he didn’t like it one bit. It was stupid to argue about, but he was still shaking, and he needed something to cling to, and anger was it.

 

“Why would I kill you?” Felix asked in turn. “I’ve told you before, I’m not the villain of this story,” he said. “Besides, you’re so cute when you’re feeling victorious,” he added, pinching Alex’s cheek.

 

He batted Felix’s hand away, glaring at him for all he was worth. No wonder Felix was acting smug all the time. He felt bitter.

 

“Does it always feel like that? Cold, and dark?” Alex asked, aiming to hurt him, all while he ignored his comments. They’d had that fight plenty of times too, about good and evil, right and wrong. There was no winning that one for now. Felix was a villain, whether he admitted or not.

 

“To me, it feels calm, and serene, but then it is natural to my being. Just as your magic feels foreign, and too warm to me,” he said. He held out his hand, and a little flower bloomed in it. Felix brushed Alex’s dark locks behind his ear, and tucked the flower in. “Just because it feels unnatural, doesn’t make it bad,” he said.

 

Alex blushed again, his face heating against his will, before realizing what had just happened.

 

“Did – did _my_ magic do that?” Alex asked, staring at Felix’s now empty hand. He had never done anything that complex in such a natural way before. He always needed spells to do anything. “How did you-”

 

Felix let out a small laugh, his mouth turning up into a smile. He took one of Alex’s hands in his own, and opened it up so his palm faced the ceiling. He rubbed along the middle of his palm with a finger, and Alex could feel the warmth and light of his own magic filling his hand, chasing away the cold darkness of Felix’s magic. A tiny spark ignited in his palm, and he almost jumped back in surprise. He just stopped himself in time to watch it grow bigger. He cupped it with his other hand, and danceand flicker.

 

“I must say, your magic is much more suited to this sort of thing than mine is,” Felix said softly, his fingers brushing through the flames. “What, with mine being ‘cold’ and ‘dark’,” he added, pulling back. “You know darling, as much as I’m enjoying this little spell, I’d really like to stop it before we both die from something silly. Wouldn’t you agree?” he asked.

 

Alright, Alex could admit that he felt a slight pang of guilt for being rude about Felix’s powers. They did feel awful to him, but maybe that was just because they were so different from his own. They were getting short with each other, and he realized with sudden clarity that it was because they were both upset, and they could feel each others emotions radiating from each other like feedback from a microphone. It was being amplified, and making it harder to stay nice.

 

“Do you have any idea how we can reverse this?” Alex asked, closing his hands, and extinguishing the flames. He missed the warmth of them as they disappeared.

 

“We’ll need help for that I think,” Felix said, scratching at his hairless chin. “However, for the immediate future, I have an idea!” he said, clapping his hands together in excitement. “I’m just going to need a few things – you don’t mind if I raid your home right?” he asked.

 

Alex had a bad feeling about agreeing to whatever he was going to do, but he did it anyway. Felix hopped off the couch with far too much glee, and started gathering supplies.

 

“Do you have any silverware?” Felix asked, poking his head out of the small galley kitchen.

 

“Uh, I have a box with a few odds and ends somewhere...why?” Alex asked in return.

 

“I need it. Go get it,” he said, shooing Alex off of the couch.

 

“You are so annoying. I can’t believe I made a contract with you. I’m going to be stuck with your irritating ass for the rest of my life,” he huffed as left.

 

He went into his closet to get the box of things he had inherited from his grandma. It was her ‘good stuff’ as she’d called it. It was mostly junk, but there were one or two treasures. He brought it out to the kitchen, and put it down on the counter with a loud clang that made Felix jump. Alex snickered, but managed to hold his tongue when it came to mocking him.

 

“Alright, let’s see what you’ve got,” Felix said, wiggling his eyebrows. He opened up the box, and his whole face lit up with delight.

 

“What? What is it?” Alex asked. A happy Felix was also a dangerous Felix.

 

“This is perfect,” he said, holding up a silver hoop, “It just needs a couple of adjustments! Now – out of the kitchen,” he said, making more shooing motions with his hands. Alex grumbled, but went anyway.

 

He flopped onto the couch, and pulled the spell book into his lap. Maybe there was a spell to undo the one he had cast? It seemed unlikely, as people rarely seemed to ever come up with counter-spells. It was quite annoying actually. He pulled out the sheet, and re-read the spell. It was supposed to be a “happy marriage” spell apparently? Like there was anything happy about what had happened. He had nearly died, and he had signed away his life, and managed to bind them – possibly forever – in a relationship that he wasn’t convinced either of them wanted. He certainly didn’t anyway.

 

He, and a few other white witches, had been fighting to stop The Council for years now, and Felix was often someone they fought with. They had never gotten along, naturally, though Felix had an uncomfortable habit of flirting with him while they duelled. Of course, now that he had an idea of Felix’s actual strength, it was hard not feel like he was being made fun of the entire time.

 

“Stupid Felix, and his stupid face -” Alex grumbled. He almost jumped out of his skin when the man in question leaned over next to him and said, “What was that about my face?”

 

“Oh my god, could you be any quieter? Make some damn noise! Sneaking is bad,” Alex said, smacking Felix’s arm.

 

“Is this how you treat your lover. And after I made you a present too....,” he said with a rather fake, mournful sigh.

 

“You aren’t my lover. Now what’s this about a present?” Alex asked.

 

Felix pouted at him, but then shrugged, his easy smile falling back into place. His arms were behind his back, and Alex found himself burning with curiosity. What could it be? Was it some sort of magical item? Would it break the spell?

 

“Close your eyes,” Felix chirped, bouncing on his feet. He was like a small child, excited about his birthday, only he was giving the present instead of receiving.

 

Alex hesitated, but when Felix began to pout again, he sighed and did as he was asked.

 

“Good boy,” Felix said, patting his head. Alex felt his body go warm with the praise. He hated it, obviously. It was just because he wasn’t used to being praised was all. He felt Felix’s fingers brush his hair back from his face, and neck, and then something cold touched him. It felt almost liquid as it slid over his neck, around, until it connected behind it. In an instant, the cold darkness of Felix’s magic seemed to vanish, and the emotions that had been hiding behind his own dulled down to a mere whisper.

 

“There, you can open your eyes now!” Felix sang.

 

Alex opened his eyes, and gasped. Felix was holding up a mirror, and he could see his reflection was wearing a round, silvery collar that sat snug against his throat. It was smooth, and shiny, and when he traced a finger over it the thin circle seemed to hum with energy. He slipped one finger through and gave it a small tug, frowning when it didn’t budge.

 

“How does this come off?” he asked, tugging harder, and harder.

 

“Oh, it doesn’t!” Felix said, smiling. “Isn’t it perfect? It’s a symbol of my ownership _and_ it will keep you from exploding!” he said, as if that was a normal thing to give someone. “It doesn’t break the spell unfortunately, but it should keep it at bay for a bit,” he explained.

 

“What do you mean it doesn’t come off?” Alex demanded, standing up, and forcing Felix to stand with him. “I am not wearing this for the rest of my life. Take it off,” he snapped. Sure it helped with the other stuff, but he didn’t really want to be walking around with a collar on. It was bad enough that he had some weird magical brand on his arm.

 

Felix looked at him like he was being a difficult child, and grabbed Alex by the shoulders. He leaned in real close, pulling Alex in to him, and said, “I can’t. And even if I could, I wouldn’t. Also, you signed a contract – remember? What I say goes,” he said, patting Alex’s cheek in way that was condescending to say the least. “So, I’m ordering you to wear this.”

 

“It’s too tight,” Alex whined. “And I hate it. I want you to know that. Also you. I hate you,” he said. It was his turn to pout. He knew he couldn’t go against the contract. A blood oath was a powerful thing. He’d just have to try and convince Felix to take it off.

 

“Why couldn’t it have been a bracelet or something? A collar stands out too much,” Alex said.

 

“But I want it to stand out. Though,” he said, pausing. “If you want it gone that badly, I suppose you could try offering me something I want,” Felix said, one finger tracing over the collar and down Alex’s neck. He found one of the marks he had left earlier, and pressed against it, making Alex hiss, and buck against this touch. “After all, nothing comes for free, my dear,” he teased.

 

Alex wondered what he could possibly have to offer? Felix literally owned everything he was. Unless he meant -

 

“If you expect me to willingly fuck you, you’re deluding yourself,” he said, batting at him.

 

“Well, I never imagined we’d actually fuck to begin with, yet here we are,” Felix said. “And let’s be clear about this - I would fuck you,” he said, teasing again. He grabbed the collar, and pulled. Alex yelped as he fell forward into him, and Felix quickly locked them in a kiss. He bit at Alex’s lips, making him gasp, opening his mouth to him. Alex could feel his thoughts leaving him as he struggled to stand properly, and push Felix off. It was no use though. Instead he ended up holding onto Felix’s shirt for dear life, as his knees buckled from the assault on his mouth. No one had ever kissed him like that before, like they wanted to devour him, body and soul.

 

When Felix finally pulled back, Alex was panting, and clinging to the other man as he blinked at him with wide eyes. Felix brushed Alex’s hair back, and gave him a pleased grin.

 

“Now, to test it, to make sure it works! After all, I had to combine a few spells to get that, and they may have interfered with each other,” he said as he lightly tugged on the collar.

 

“Test? What sort of test?” Alex asked, his brain finally working again. He didn’t like the sound of testing the collar.

 

Felix was grinning at him, but it was a sadistic, if somewhat mischievous look that made Alex very nervous. Felix snapped his fingers, and Alex screamed as agony wracked his body, making him convulse, and fall to the floor. He wasn’t sure how long it went on but he didn’t think it was more than a few seconds, and with another snap, it stopped. He lay there panting for a while, tears prickling his eyes.

 

“What the fuck was that for?” Alex demanded from the ground, his body shaking with after shocks. “A little warning would have been nice!” he snarled as he tried to push himself upright.

 

“I’d stay down if I were you, darling,” Felix said.

 

“What? Why?” was as far as Alex got before Felix snapped his fingers once more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> give me all your love! <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex gets to see the other side of what the collar can do, and also gets to go on a trip!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright, I know I said it was PWP in the tags, but apparently _things_ are happening. Rude.

Alex was drowning in pleasure, his whole body alight with it. He writhed on the floor, his hands twitching, wanting to hold on to something, and finding only air. He blinked up at Felix who was looking at him with a hunger that made him shiver with desire. He rubbed his hands over his chest, needing to touch something, and moaned as he hit his hard nipples. His cock was hard again, pressing obscenely against his shorts, his arousal plain to see. Felix waved his hand, and Alex was suddenly naked again.

 

“Stop – I can’t take this much -” Alex pleaded, as he squirmed against the floor, the wood cool against his burning skin. He couldn’t stop touching himself, pulling at his nipples with one hand, while he rubbed his cock with the other.

 

Felix made a humming sound, and walked around him. He put out one foot, and placed it just above Alex’s aching cock. Without thinking, Alex bucked his hips up. The friction was just a tiny painful, and oh so perfect as he hit Felix’s booted foot. He started to rut up against the smooth sole of his boot, his hips moving on their own.

 

“Felix-” he gasped, not sure what he wanted or needed, only that Felix was the only one who could give it to him.

 

Felix stared down at him, only looking away to grab a cigarette. He lit it, and started to smoke, flicking the ashes off as he put more pressure on Alex’s cock. His stance was one of boredom, but his eyes were burning holes into Alex with their heat. Alex just writhed beneath him.

 

“Did you need something, love?” Felix asked, calm as could be, smoke wafting around him.

 

Alex was lost for words, and all he could do was keen as he got closer to cumming. His body was still sore from earlier, but it didn’t seem to matter. He was alight with arousal.

 

“Did you want to cum now?” Felix asked, as if Alex’s desperation weren’t obvious.

 

Alex nodded his head as best he could. Felix’s foot suddenly disappeared, and Alex let out a frustrated whimper. He looked around for him, and saw that he had plopped himself onto the couch, one leg extended so his foot stuck out. Felix gestured at his foot, and Alex didn’t know what he was supposed to do.

 

He decided to crawl over to him, and straddle his boot that was sticking out. He started to rock against him, the leather rubbing the underside of his hard cock. He grabbed onto Felix’s knees for balance, and a cool hand landed on his head, gently carding through his hair. He tried not to nuzzle into the touch, but between his hand that was petting him, and his boot that was rocking against him, it was too much to stop.

 

“Look at you, so sweet for me,” Felix cooed, lifting his toe up so it pressed harder against Alex.

 

“I-” Alex tried to speak, but all he managed to do was let out a breathy moan. He could _feel_ how aroused Felix was, even though there was very little outwardly to show it, and it was making his own arousal skyrocket. Alex was doing that – making Felix all hot and bothered.

 

“You look so lovely on your knees. I think I might keep you there, crawling after me,” Felix mused aloud. “Maybe bring you to my meetings and have you suck me off under the table,” he said, laughing.

 

“Fuck,” Alex swore. That – that shouldn’t have sounded as hot as it did. His mouth was watering just thinking about it. He had never really given a blow job before, but the idea was making him ache with a need he didn’t understand.

 

Felix leaned forward, and tugged on Alex’s collar, making him look up. He traced his thumb over Alex’s lips and he accidentally licked his thumb as he went to wet his lips. Alex was so close, and he didn’t know what he needed, so he nipped at the thumb in his mouth, taking it in, and sucking on it. Felix’s hand on the collar rubbed against the metal, and Alex let out a surprised cry as his body arched with pleasure, his mouth falling open in a silent ‘oh’, and came. Currents of bliss rocketed through him, and he had to cling to Felix so he wouldn’t fall over.

 

“That’s my boy,” Felix said, petting him through it.

 

Alex started to cry as the feeling became too much.

 

“I’s too much!” he wailed, even as his body continued with the spasms of pleasure. Felix rubbed the collar, and with a hum, it stopped. Alex’s fingers were twisted up in Felix’s trouser legs, and he slowly uncurled his hands from him. His own legs were too shaky to stand, and he just knelt there, panting. Felix’s foot was just barely touching him, and each little graze made him shudder with a sense of ‘too much, too soon’.

 

“Looks like the collar works. Training you will be fun I think,” Felix said. He leaned forward more, and lifted Alex up, and into his lap. Alex just blinked, his face going redder and redder. His mind was still kind of tingling, but now that he wasn’t magically aroused for the second time that day, he was able to think again.

 

“Training?” he asked. What did that mean?

 

“Well of course, darling. I can’t keep a pet if he doesn’t behave. And I _know_ you. You need a firm hand if I’m going to keep you out of trouble,” Felix said. “Besides, so long as you behave, you’ll get lots of treats, and pets.”

 

Alex gave him a weak shove, his arms still noodle-like from cumming again so soon after that morning’s spell.

 

“I’m not a pet,” he grumbled. “And I thought we weren’t trying to kill me?” he added, grumpy that he was exhausted. As if on cue, Felix yawned.

 

“I’m not trying to kill you. I just needed to make sure it worked properly. Now that I know it does, we can go and get help from The Council,” Felix said around another yawn.

 

Alex sat up at that, his mind already coming up with reasons for why they shouldn’t go.

 

“The hell we are! I am _not_ going to The Council with this,” Alex said, shoving at Felix once more.

 

“Alex, darling, be reasonable. They are an ancient organization – if anyone has the answers it’s them,” he said.

 

“No. Absolutely not!” Alex snapped, sitting even more upright.

 

Felix sighed, and rubbed over Alex’s shoulders.

 

“I really wish I didn’t have to do this,” he said. Alex had a very bad feeling about whatever he was about to do.

 

“Do wha-” Alex started.

 

Felix snapped his fingers again, and the world went dark.

 

 

 

Alex awoke with a start, confused as to what had happened and where he was. He tried to move, and realized he had been rather tightly wrapped up in blankets, as he was unable to move. It took some squirming to break free, and then he was finally able to look around. He was in a large bedroom, all cocooned up on a soft, yet absurdly large bed, that spanned a good portion of the room. He looked for any signs of life, or some identifying features as to where he could be. There was a window, covered in lush drapery. He pushed his way out of the nest of blankets, and he was almost free of them when he realized with a shock that he was still naked except for the metal collar. Of course.

 

“Felix?” he called quietly at first.

 

There was no answer. Maybe if he tried a bit louder?

 

“Felix!” he hissed.

 

Still no answer. Alex growled in frustration, and grabbed a thinner blanket to wear. He wrapped it around himself like a toga, and jumped down off the bed. He went to the window, and pushed open the heavy drapes. It was the city – the same city he lived in. So they hadn’t gone too far. It was nighttime though, when it had barely been noon before. Assuming it was the same day.

 

Alex looked around and noticed one thing that was missing from the room – a door. Panic seized him, and he started feeling the walls for secret switches, or a passage way. When he found none, he started banging on the walls. He didn’t like closed spaces.

 

“Hey! Can anyone hear me?” he yelled. He pounded against the wall, and he could feel the magical barrier tingle against his fingertips. Had Felix actually brought him to The Council like he said? Or maybe it was his home? Either way, the magic was much stronger than anything his people used for regular warding.

 

“Alright, Alex. No need to panic,” he told himself. “You just need to break through the wards. No biggie,” he said, trying to give himself a pep talk. It wasn’t working.

 

He sat down on the ground, legs crossed beneath him, and he started to meditate. He needed to relax if he was even going to attempt to break through the wards.

 

_Breathe in._

 

_Breathe out._

 

He cleared his mind as he breathed, each inhale and exhale bringing him closer to the centre of his magic. He felt it, like a glowing, golden thread. His mind unhelpfully supplied him with the image of flames Felix had helped him conjure earlier. He blushed, his mind skittering to everything else they’d done, his concentration momentarily ruined. He really hated that man. He had to centre himself again, gently nudging his thoughts back to where he needed them.

 

_Breathe in._

 

_Breathe out._

 

He found the thread again, and gently tugged at it. Warmth filled him up, and he could feel it glowing inside him. He could also feel the tiniest cool brush of Felix’s magic. It made him shiver, even as it called to him. There was so much power there, and even dampened by the collar, it was still intimidating. He chose to ignore it for now.

 

Alex liked to picture wards as a spider’s web. He closed his eyes, and felt the wards pressing in on all sides. He just needed a tiny hole to wiggle through. The magic appeared almost green to him, glowing faintly in his mind’s eye. He gave a gentle nudge to a few of the strings in the ward, to see if any of them would move for him. One quivered when he touched it, so he would start there. If he could untangle it enough then escape might be a real option.

 

He didn’t know how much time had passed, but he felt like he had been trying to release that one thread of the web forever. It kept snagging, and if he wasn’t careful, and pulled too hard, it would probably set off some sort of alarm or defence system. He sat back in frustration, his concentration failing him finally.

 

“I could always try blasting through,” he said to himself, feeling all his anger and bitterness rising in him. A cold tingling started in his fingers, and he shook himself of the thought. He was _not_ using Felix’s magic to escape. He had never needed help before...and yet, maybe that was because Felix and The Council hadn’t been trying hard before. Why would they when Alex was so weak? They probably only used such a complex barrier because Alex could tap into Felix’s powers now. Felix could have probably broken them easily – as he had with Alex’s own wards on his apartment. Gods, but he hated these people.

 

It was probably a bad idea, and he’d already had enough of them that day....but escape was so close. He adjusted his posture into something that would better suit an offensive spell. He could feel the numbness spreading from his fingers, up his arms, the cold darkness making him shake.

 

“Oh, this is a terrible idea,” he said, even as he sent a blast of power at the wall closest to him. It cracked! He felt a thrill of excitement go through him. He really hoped he’d get out before the guards or whoever got there. He took a deep breath and thought of everything that had happened that day – the spell, the contract, the stupid collar – and sent it slamming into the wall. The energy shot forth out of his hands, like lightning and hit the wall. A hole burst open in it, revealing a huge, domed hallway with a glass ceiling just outside. He took a moment to cheer, and then Alex scrambled to his feet, secured his blanket-toga, and ran out the hole. The wards were definitely down now.

 

He couldn’t hear the siren signalling he had broken through, but he could feel a tense energy in the air that he associated with The Council’s security system being triggered.

 

“Fuck,” he swore with feeling. He needed to run. He gathered up the bits of blanket around his legs, hoisted them up, and picked a direction to go. Left looked promising. That meant he needed to hurry.

 

Moonlight shone through the domed ceiling, and aside from some dimly lit wall sconces, there wasn’t much light outside of that. Still, the moon was pretty much enough to see by, until he got to a split in the corridor. He could go left or right again. He decided to go away from the room he had been kept and, and went right. He wished he had a phone or something that he could use as light. The windows weren’t offering nearly enough.

 

His footsteps echoed, his bare feet smacking against the cold, marble floors as he ran, searching for an exit. He didn’t know why, but something made him feel like he should go straight at the next intersection of hallways. He skidded to a slight stop, to think, but then heard footsteps from behind, and decided to trust his instincts.

 

The corridors had gotten narrower, and now he was heading into a more brightly lit area, with wider corridors. He could hear people yelling now, and they were getting closer. Maybe he could hide? Yes, he’d hide, wait for them to pass by and then keep going!

 

He passed door after door, and came to a dead end. There were so many rooms to choose from, and he didn’t know if any of them were occupied. His heart was racing, and he was barely breathing, and the voices were almost there. He spun around, and opened his eyes, and there! That was the door he’d go through!

 

It was a smaller, less assuming door, and he had almost missed it. He turned the handle, and thanked every god he could think of that it wasn’t locked. He pushed through, and closed it as quietly as he could behind himself. He listened for a moment, and waited. The guards or whoever had gotten there finally, and were searching the area. He turned to see where he was, if there was anywhere to hide. It was another corridor however, this one less used, and much more narrow. It was made of old looking stone, and had a much lower ceiling, to the point where he could touch it with his hands if he reached up. Maybe it led outside! No matter where it led, if he stayed put he would eventually get caught. He pushed on, into the long, dark hallway.

 

The passageway wound about, and didn’t seem to have much of a direction, other than curving occasionally. There were no real turns though, and after a few minutes, Alex could feel the adrenaline from running wearing off, and being replaced with panic. What if this was a trap? Maybe it was some sort of maze, or spell that kept you walking forever? He paused for a moment, to breathe and to listen. There was no sound except for his heavy breathing, and the faintest hint of music. He didn’t recognize the song, and had not more time to listen. He pressed on, and finally, after what seemed like forever, he found the end of the tunnel. There was a door, and he pressed his ear against it. There wasn’t a single sound. Perfect.

 

He opened the door just a crack, and peered out. There was a large set of double doors, and no one was there. He left the passageway, and breathed in some fresher air. It had been stuffy, and he was glad to not be in it anymore. He looked around and realized that he was in a room of sorts, with a door at one end, and the double doors at the other. He listened, and could hear someone coming from the single door. That really only left him the double doors then. Or to go back into the passage. He was _not_ going back into the passage.

 

He pressed his ear to the double doors, but heard nothing.

 

“Alright, Alex. It’s this door, or nothing,” he said to himself. He took a deep breath, and pushed it open.

 

“See, I told you he was clever,” a voice – Felix – said.

 

Alex spun around to face him, and the doors vanished, leaving him in a room with Felix, looking smug again, and a woman who was sitting on what looked like some sort of throne. She had a bird-like mask on that covered the top half of her face, and a long, elaborate looking dress that cascaded over the steps that led up to her throne. She had many gems adorning her, and Alex even recognized a few of them from some of the spells he had done in the past. Most of them were used to enhance power, or extend the distance of a spell. Alex swallowed hard. He had been in a trap all along it seemed.

 

“Felix, care to explain?” he whispered the words in a harsh hiss.

 

“Oh! Where are my manners!” Felix said. He turned Alex so he was in front of him, and facing the rather intimidating woman.

 

“Alexander Du Pont, this is The Duchess, and high ruler of our branch of the The Council. She wanted to meet you, but I said you needed rest,” Felix said, making the introductions. “And since you were all tucked away sleeping, we figured, why not see what you’re made of!” he added. “Especially now that you can tap into my abilities – well done with that by the way,” he said.

 

Alex flushed with shame, and embarrassment. Of course Felix would know that he’d used his powers. He had been stupid to think that he wouldn’t notice. They were both connected after all.

 

“Though I must ask, what are you wearing?” Felix asked with obvious amusement as he circled around him, taking in his makeshift outfit.

 

“You didn’t leave me any clothes, and I wasn’t going to run around naked,” Alex snapped.

 

“I must say, Mr. Du Pont, that your magic is quite lovely, if a bit young, and inexperienced. You certainly have room to grow, don’t you,” The Duchess said, interrupting them. Her voice was cool, and calm, and held an unquestionable authority. Felix immediately stepped back, bowing to her as he did so.

 

“And?” Alex said, not feeling like cooperating at all. “Did you have a point?”

 

The Duchess let out a small, delighted laugh, that was both elegant and sweet.

 

“Oh, Felix, I can see why you’re so taken with him,” she said. “He’s just like his magic – full of fire.”

 

Alex blushed again, not sure how to feel about that statement. He could feel Felix’s amusement, and affection however, now that they were in the same room again. It was so irritating, he wanted to just....punch his face in. By the wave of amusement he felt, Felix must have thought his discomfort to be hilarious.

 

“Now,” she said, pulling him from his thoughts. “Down to business.”

 

“Business?” Alex asked.

 

“I have a proposition for you,” she said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love and read each and every comment, and appreciate the kudos!! <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things never go quite as planned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all so far for the kudos, and lovely comments! they really encourage me <3

Alex stared at The Duchess, and then glanced over at Felix, who, despite wearing a smile, was feeling nervous. Alex tamped down on the extra feelings, and pulled out as much indignation as he could. He was not doing _business_ with anyone in The Council. The very idea offended him.

 

“There is _nothing_ you could say to me that would get me to agree to whatever you’re planning,” he said. Honestly, he didn’t even want to hear what it was.

 

She didn’t look taken aback in the slightest, Ttough she had the slightest frown. If Alex didn’t know any better he would think she was disappointed.

 

“Very well,” she said. “I was going to offer to help you undo the spell you accidentally did, however, if you feel so inclined, I can keep that offer to myself,” she said.

 

Alex chewed on his bottom lip for a moment. He knew he was being hasty, but he really hated these people, and there was no way her help was without cost. He was almost curious to know what she would ask for in exchange, but knew that whatever it was, he wouldn’t like it.

 

“Thanks, but I just want to go home, and pretend this day never happened. Where’s the door out of here?” he asked.

 

“Are you certain, Mister Du Pont?” she asked. “The deal will be off the table after this, and there will be consequences to this decision,” she said.

 

Alex had to snort at that. The Council was always being bloody dramatic. ‘There will be consequences’...ha! What a joke. There were consequences to every action, and every choice. Still, the way she said it was kind of unnerving. It was probably more theatrics to scare him. He could feel Felix’s frustration, and he had to smile for a moment. He had told him he didn’t want The Council’s help. He wasn’t sure why he was so damn surprised.

 

“As you wish then,” she said to him. The Duchess then turned to Felix. “In accordance to our laws, you, Felix Aberdeen, are hereby stripped of your rank within The Council. All access has been revoked, and you are to hence forth never step foot here again,” she said, pointing at Felix, who remained bowed as waves of misery flowed from him.

 

Alex gasped, clutching his chest as he was flooded with Felix’s frustration, and fear, and sadness. He looked up at The Duchess who was still talking, stripping Felix of all rights he once had there. He had to do something. This – this didn’t feel right.

 

“Wait!” he shouted, cutting her off. She grabbed her staff that lay beside her, and hit the floor with it, the sound echoing in the cavernous room, and Alex had to cover his ears, wincing as the reverberation boomed around him.

 

“You dare interrupt me?” she asked, voice hard, and cold. Any feeling of friendliness was gone.

 

“Why are you doing this to him? He’s done nothing wrong!” Alex snapped, glaring at her.

 

She let out a high, cruel laugh, her head tilting back for a moment, before returning his glare.

 

“Foolish child. You are bound together. Where you go, so must he follow,” she explained. “Your ‘no’ is his ‘no’. I cannot keep someone who is not in harmony with half their soul. The chaos that would bring!” she said. “No, your decision has once again sealed his fate. And allow me to be perfectly clear – I am not happy with you stealing my right hand. If it would not kill him, I would strike you down where you stand,” she hissed. “Now begone!” she yelled, waving her hand.

 

Alex was about to take a step forward, when the room vanished, and he was back in his apartment again, Felix at his side, still slightly bowed. Alex turned to face him, to apologize, to...something...he wasn’t sure that words were going to cut it though. Felix looked miserable.

 

“Felix I am so -” that was as far as he got.

 

“Don’t. It’s fine. I mean sure, we no longer have any protection, and our best chance at getting rid of this curse – because that’s what it is by the way – is now gone. But it will be fine,” he said, biting off each word to a sharp point.

 

“I didn’t know -” he tried again.

 

“No, of course you didn’t. How could you? You never stop to ask questions! Gods, this is why I hate your lot. You’re so blinded by your self-righteousness that you never stop to think that maybe you could be wrong! Maybe _your_ choice isn’t the _best_ choice!” he snarled.

 

“I told you I didn’t want their help,” Alex snapped back. He knew he had done a bad thing, but being yelled at wasn’t making him want to admit that. Besides, if Felix had just listened to him in the first place -

 

“Well good! Because now we’ll never get it!” Felix shouted. He had started to pace back and forth, running his hands through his messy hair.

 

“The White Witches -” Alex tried, only to be cut off again.

 

“Have no idea what they’re doing ninety percent of the time! Also, they don’t deal in dark magic! Guess what Alex, this – this thing _you_ did – was dark magic!” he spat, walking faster and faster in a tight circle.

 

That thought hit him like a ton of bricks. Dark magic was forbidden among the White Witches. Felix was right – they were very unlikely to help them. They’d probably turn them over the High Commission. That never ended well for anyone. He knew they could be a bit black and white on certain subjects of magic, and white witch or not, it would not go well.

 

Alex marched around Felix’s pacing until he could grab him and make him stop. Anger was swirling inside them both, and it was getting out of hand. Energy crackled in the air, and if they didn’t stop, there would be an even bigger disaster on their hands.

 

“I’m sorry,” he said, quiet and sincere. “I didn’t know. I _should_ have asked. I didn’t, and I’m sorry,” he said, staring into Felix’s angry eyes. “I don’t know how to fix this, but I know we can figure it out, together,” he said, squeezing Felix’s arms. “Please,” he added, his voice cracking.

 

He didn’t know why he was crying, but he felt hot tears slide down his cheeks. He went to wipe at them, when Felix caught his hand, and kissed the back of it. He leaned forwards and placed another kiss on Alex’s forehead. He could feel the anger and fight leaving them, with only sorrow and guilt left behind.

 

“Why are you crying, darling?” Felix said softly.

 

“Because I’m an idiot? I don’t know, I can’t help it,” Alex said, letting out a small, broken laugh. “I just feel so much right now. And I know that The Council was important to you, and that I fucked up, and -” he rambled. Felix silenced him with a finger against his lips.

 

“I’m not upset about The Council,” he said, and Alex had to give him a look for that one. “Alright, I _am_ , but my main concern is you and I, and this curse,” Felix said before pulling Alex in against his chest. “I’m sorry I yelled. I should have kept my cool. One would think at my age that I’d be better at that,” he said.

 

Alex let out a snort.

 

“You’re not that old,” he said. “Like maybe a year or two older than me?” He paused, and pulled back a bit so he could stare at Felix for a moment, and then said, “Right?”

 

“I’m turning eighty seven next month,” Felix admitted, laughing when Alex gasped. “I’m significantly older than you. My father was human – my mother not so much. I have no idea how long I’ll live, to be honest, and with this curse...you may live a while longer too, or I might die sooner. I’m okay with that, but are you?” he asked.

 

Alex stared at him with his mouth open. Eighty seven?! What if he did end up living a long time? _Was_ he going to be alright with that? He’d have to watch everyone get older and die...oh, he had made himself sad...and if he died, then Felix would die too.

 

“I guess I don’t really have a choice but to be okay with it,” he said, giving a nervous laugh. “Eighty seven though, huh? Who knew you were such an old man?” he asked, distracting himself from his sad thoughts.

 

“Well, we haven’t exactly had many chances to talk,” Felix said, pulling away from their embrace. “After all these years of fighting, I must say I’m tad offended that you know so little about me. Surely your White Witches had some idea of who I am, or what I can do?”

 

Alex pulled back too, suddenly embarrassed, though he had no reason to be.

 

“You’re the one obsessed with me, remember? I actually have a life outside of you,” he teased, though it wasn’t entirely untrue. Felix had, up until that morning, been nothing but a thorn in his side, and a hound sent by The Council. Felix was the one who like to flirt during battles, not Alex.

 

“Oh please, I bet you know my favourite colour – it’s blue by the way – and that I sleep naked,” he teased back.

 

“Only because you got hurt that one time, and crashed in through my front door, and then slept on my couch. I almost had a heart attack. Your pasty, white ass almost killed me. I hope you’re proud,” he said.

 

“Speaking of sleep,” Felix said, yawning. “I vote we deal with this mess later. All in favour, raise your hand,” he said. He raised his hand, and grabbed Alex’s wrist, raising his arm too. “Oh good, we all agree. I’ll take the left side,” he said, heading towards the bedroom.

 

“I – okay...,” Alex said. He wasn’t sure what just happened. He knew he had slept when Felix had put him under to take him to The Council’s hideout, so he wasn’t super tired, but because Felix was exhausted, he could feel the pull of sleep. He yawned as he made his way back into his apartment, down the hall, and into his bedroom. Felix was pulling his clothes off, his shirt tangled on his arms, and covering most of his head.

 

“Help,” he said as he wiggled about, trying to get free.

 

Alex shook his head, even as he smiled at him. He kind of hated to admit it, but Felix was kind of adorable when he wasn’t being a sadistic fuck, or a smug bastard.

 

“Stay still, asshole,” he said. Felix made an indignant noise, but stopped moving. Alex slowly tugged at the shirt, getting it loose enough to free him. He realized as the shirt came off, that they were standing chest to chest again. They really needed to stop that. Alex pulled away first.

 

“Thanks,” Felix said, breathing hard. “I thought I’d be stuck like that forever.”

 

Alex shot him a brief grin as he took his own shirt off in one try.

 

“You almost were. What would you have done if I’d decided my bed was too small for us both, and slept on the couch?” he asked.

 

Felix slipped his trousers off, but left his briefs on. He shot Alex a look over his shoulder.

 

“I could have used magic, but that seemed excessive. Besides, this way I had another excuse to be closer to you,” he said. He offered Alex a cheeky grin. Alex, for his part, just scowled. He could feel the warmth spreading up the back of his neck, and into his cheeks as he blushed. He pushed away any thoughts he had about how _close_ they had been that day, and climbed into bed.

 

“You had better be keeping those briefs on,” Alex said, as he rolled onto his side, and away from Felix.

 

“Too late!” Felix shouted, throwing himself on the bed. Alex wasn’t going to look, really, he wasn’t, but he had to know. For science.

 

Yup, that was one white and naked ass.

 

“Ugh, can we just go to sleep. Please,” Alex said. He buried his face in his pillow, hoping against hope that Felix didn’t notice his crimson blush.

 

“Of course, darling,” Felix said. Alex could hear him rustling around as he got under the blankets. He turned off his bedside lamp, and let the darkness, and the sounds of the city lull him to sleep.

 

 

Alex woke up to an arm wrapped around him, and the length of Felix’s body curled against his back. He was also having a bit of a morning problem, in that he was hard, and unable to fix that without waking Felix up. He tried to ease the arm around him off, but the more he moved the tighter Felix seemed to hold on. He wiggled, trying to break free, and he noticed that he wasn’t the only one with an erection. Alex blushed from the top of his head, down to his toes. There was no way this was happening.

 

He had a few options: he could move as fast as he could and hope to make it to the bathroom without Felix realizing what had happened, or he could lay still and hope it went away on it’s own before Felix woke up, or he could pretend to be asleep, and let Felix deal with it. All of the options sucked.

 

“Morning beautiful,” Felix whispered against his ear.

 

Alex jumped. He hadn’t realized Felix was awake, and now he had to go with option four, which was being a grown up and admitting that these things happened, and that they didn’t mean a damn thing. He scowled. That idea was the worst.

 

“Hey, I’m just gonna -” Alex said as he tried to get off the bed without discussing it anyway. He let out a yelp as the world spun for a second, and he found himself pinned beneath a very naked, and very aroused Felix.

 

“Um-” he stammered, trying to figure out what to say or do. He wasn’t awake enough to be able to deal with this in a reasonable manner.

 

“You weren’t going to leave already were you?” Felix asked, all innocent like. At least it would have been if he hadn’t been slowly grinding his erection against Alex’s own. His hips jerked up without a care for what Alex wanted, the slow, delicious friction too much to resist.

 

“Fuck,” he groaned as he grabbed onto Felix’s arms that were braced on either side of him

 

“I’d love to, but I’m starving, so this will have to do for now,” Felix said, panting lightly. He smiled at Alex before capturing his lips in a kiss. Alex wasn’t sure what to do, or how he felt, but kissing was great, and chasing away his worries, so he gave himself over to it, opening his mouth to take Felix in even deeper. They both pulled back after a moment to breathe, and Felix was grinning.

 

“What?” Alex asked, feeling self conscious all of a sudden.

 

“I don’t know, I just expected you to punch me or something,” Felix said, laughing. Alex could feel his uncertainty though at the back of his mind.

 

“Well, I was hard, you were hard, and it feels good. It doesn’t have to mean anything,” Alex explained.

 

“Quite right,” Felix said, though the uncertainty hadn’t gone away yet. If anything, it seemed worse.It was dampening the mood.

 

On the one hand, that was probably for the best – after all Felix owned him, and Alex wasn’t ready to just lie back and accept things. On the other hand, Felix’s cock was sliding against his, and it felt incredible, and he didn’t really want it to stop.

 

“I tell you what,” Alex said. “You get me off, and I’ll make breakfast. Fair deal?” he asked. Felix pretended to contemplate that.

 

“I don’t know. How good are your breakfasts? Because I mean, I’m great at getting people off, and I want this to be an actual fair trade,” he said.

 

Alex grabbed his pillow, and hit Felix in the head with it.

 

“Hey!” Felix said, laughing.

 

“Just for that, you can get yourself off. I’m going to go have my own breakfast, and not share with you,” Alex said. He went to push Felix over, and climb off the bed, but Felix had him pinned. “Move,” he said.

 

“How about, instead of that, I suck you off as an apology?” Felix asked, trailing kisses down Alex’s throat, and shoulders.

 

“I uh – I’d be okay with that,” Alex stammered, arching up into his touch. “I guess,” he added just because it felt too much like Felix’s victory otherwise.

 

“Perfect,” Felix said, easing himself down Alex’s body. He teased the waist band of Alex’s boxers, slowly tugging them down his hips, and off altogether. Alex watched him, transfixed as Felix licked his lips, bringing his cock closer to his mouth. He held his breath, and then let it out in a strangled moan as Felix licked the tip of his cock with one long swipe of his tongue, before taking him into his mouth.

 

He really hadn’t been lying when he said he was good at this. Alex had to work hard to keep himself from fucking Felix’s face. He curled his toes into the blankets, and grabbed hold of Felix’s short, blond waves. He twisted his fingers in his hair, and Felix shot him a heated look that sent shivers down his spine. His back kept arching up, off the bed, and Felix would wrap his hands around Alex’s hips, and hold him down.

 

“Fuck, so close,” Alex whimpered. He felt like a teenager, coming so soon, but Felix was really talented with his tongue. He licked a spot that felt amazing, and had Alex writhing against the sheets. He wrapped his fingers around the collar, as he tried to stay still. He could feel it then, a burst of arousal that wasn’t his own. Felix wanted him so bad, he could almost _hear_ him.

 

_So gorgeous. Fuck, want you so bad. Cum for me._

 

Alex didn’t know what to do with himself, other than to fall apart beneath Felix’s touch. He dug his heels into Felix’s back, and cried out as he came, Felix sucking him through his orgasm. He continued to lick him until he was squirming from over-stimulation, and Alex pushed him away.

 

“Alright, that deserves breakfast,” he admitted. He was breathless, and boneless, and not wanting to move at all now. He tingled all over. “What do you want?” he asked, even though it meant that Felix had in fact won after all.

 

“Pancakes!” Felix said happily, wiggling his bum back and forth, like some sort of overexcited puppy.

 

“Pancakes? Seriously?” Alex asked. He had nothing against pancakes, he just found them too sweet was all.

 

“Pancakes,” Felix asserted.

 

“Ugh fine but -” Alex was mid sentence when Felix’s face changed, and he launched himself across the bed, covering Alex with his body yelling “GET DOWN!”

 

The window exploded, and fire filled the air.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing ever seems to go right these days for Alex, and it looks like that's not changing just yet.

Alex couldn’t see through the smoke that was quickly filling the room, but he could feel Felix’s hand on his, pulling him from the bed. The fire seemed almost alive, and Alex thought of the only water spell he knew, and did his best to cast it, even though he could barely breathe. Felix was dragging him out of the bedroom, and into the hallway. It seemed the rest of the apartment was on fire too, and the hallway was like a small tunnel of smoke between them and the door.

 

Felix was making them a small pathway through the heavy smoke with magic, but the fire was so hot that he felt like it would burn him alive. There was a loud groaning and then the ceiling collapsed, right in front them, and Felix pushed them back, just in time.

 

“What do we do?!” Alex shouted over the sounds of fire, and the creaking, burning building. They were cut off in all directions, either from walls, or fire. They were going to die if they didn’t get out somehow, and he there was no exit left.

 

Felix was looking around, and Alex had never seen him so angry before. A strong arm wrapped around Alex, and he was tucked in against Felix’s chest, just like the night before. Alex clung to him, and wondered if this was how he died – in the arms of his not-really-an-enemy-anymore.

 

“Hold on,” Felix yelled.

 

The world tilted, and Alex could feel the cold radiating off of Felix, darkness surrounding them. He blinked, and when he opened his eyes they were in a field, in the middle of nowhere.

 

“Where are we?” Alex asked. He turned to look at Felix only to be pulled down by his body weight as he passed out. They fell to the grass, and Alex rolled him onto his back, checking to make sure he was alive. He put his head to his chest, and Felix’s was breathing, and his heartbeat was steady, if a bit weak sounding. Felix’s nose was also bleeding, and he was a bit singed in places, but aside from that he seemed unharmed. Alex didn’t know what had happened, but the moon was out, and it had been morning. Whatever Felix did, it was intense, and too much for him.

 

Alex didn’t know any healing spells off by heart, and he kind of wished he had spent more time studying them now. He needed to get them somewhere safe at least. He knew a levitation spell, though he had only ever used it on his couch, but there was no way he’d be able to lift Felix up without it. He knelt next to him, and held his hands about his body. He took several breaths, allowing his fear to settle for the moment, the calm of ‘fix now, worry later’ taking hold. He closed his eyes, and focused.

 

Alex pictured Felix being full of air, and gently rising off the ground, his body light enough to almost float away. This magic felt warm, and he could almost see the golden thread of his powers wrapping around Felix, lifting him. He opened his eyes when he felt skin touch his hands. Felix was floating. He let out a sigh of relief as he grabbed him by the wrist, and pulled him off into the woods.

 

They would need clothes, but Alex realized he had never done that either. Aside from that flame, he had never done much conjuring, and Felix had helped him that time. He didn’t know where they were but it was awfully cold for the summer. He started to shiver as he wandered deeper into the woods, the wet grass, and earth freezing his toes. It was so dark, the trees cutting out the moonlight, and he could barely see a damn thing.

 

Now that the immediate danger was over, he could feel his panic again, and it was making him shake even more than the cold. Someone had tried to kill them, with magic fire, through his window. His life was just one crazy event after another. His spell was wavering because of the shock, his hands quivering, and he would be unable to keep Felix up for much longer. A branch broke to the left, and Alex jumped, letting Felix fall a short distance to the forest floor.

 

He curled up on top of Felix, shielding him. He was also growing cold, but he’d deal with that in a minute. He waited, trying hard not to breathe too loud. The sound never happened again. It was probably an animal anyway. Alex did the levitation spell again, and managed to levitate Felix without issue.

 

“Maybe there’s a cave, or something?” he said softly to himself. He needed light. Alex groaned in frustration. He needed to keep Felix up, but he also needed light. He couldn’t do both. What if -? He reached into his core, and felt for the cold darkness that had been present since the day before. He couldn’t feel it at all. Had Felix burnt through his power getting them...wherever, and whenever they were? No wonder he passed out. How far had they gone? There weren’t any forests near them for ages. A well of worry opened in Alex – would Felix be alright? What if he didn’t wake up?

 

“Alright, new plan. I’m going to leave you here, buried in leaves or something to stay warm, while I go find shelter. Good plan? Yes?” he asked Felix’s unconscious form. Alex sighed. “You would probably tell me this was a stupid idea,” he said, letting out a bitter laugh. He sat down on the ground, leaves, and pine needles poking his butt. He pulled a stick out from underneath himself, and tossed it aside.

 

“It doesn’t matter if it’s stupid, it’s the only plan I’ve got, so I’m doing it,” he said. He placed Felix on the ground, and covered him in leaves, and branches, and whatever he could get his hands on that didn’t look like animal crap. “Now stay put, alright?” he told Felix, not that he could respond.

 

Alex lit a small flame in his hands, not nearly as big as the one Felix had helped him make, but enough to see by. He wasn’t sure where to go, but he had to pick a direction. He could almost see some sort of outcropping of rocks in the distance, and figured he’d go that way.

 

He hadn’t gone more than thirty steps, when he felt an intense pain start spreading through his body. He fell to his knees, gasping for breath. He could still see Felix on the ground, covered in leaves. He needed to get back. Maybe Felix would wake up, and fix whatever was happening. Was it an after effect of the fire? He crawled across the ground, and as he got closer to Felix, the less intense the pain was. By the time he reached him, the pain had disappeared altogether, and he was able to stand again.

 

“What the fuck?” he hissed. “What the hell was that?” he demanded of the trees.

 

No one answered of course. Could it be the bond they had from the spell? Was it keeping them together? If that was the case, it was incredibly inconvenient, and he silently cursed whoever came up with it. He plopped back down on the forest floor. He wanted to cry. He was too tired for this shit. Why couldn’t life just fuck off, just this once, and give him a break? He looked around, and saw the stick lying there. He had an idea.

 

“New new idea – I’m building us a freaking shelter out of branches. Wish me luck,” he said. He sat down, and cast the levitation spell, this time on a couple of smaller branches. He pictured his golden magic wrapping around them, and bringing them closer, stacking them, and making a shelter. Just moving a few branches took a lot of energy, and he was running very low from moving Felix about. He was sweating, and shaking from the effort. He didn’t want to get up and wander again though, in case the pain came back.

 

“Come on Alex, you can do this. They’re just branches – much lighter than a human, or a couch. This shouldn’t be harder just because there’s more of them,” he told himself. He didn’t feel very encouraged, but they needed shelter, and that meant getting more branches. He shook out his arms, releasing the tension in his muscles from holding himself still while he concentrated.

 

He had to take several deep breathes to recenter himself, pulling on what was left of his energy. He felt the golden thread of his power, and focused on it, letting it turn warm, and liquid in his mind until it was washing over him like a warm, sunny wave. He could feel it tingling through him, and into his fingers, chasing away the natural cold of the woods. He focused, picturing in his mind the shelter he wanted to build, with a little fire pit, and -

 

Alex gasped, and opened his eyes, his body shaking violently as he hit the bottom of his power. If he had pushed any harder, he would have hurt himself. It was dangerous to go past your limits. He looked over at Felix, and blinked. The shelter was there! The fire too! He did it! They would be okay now. He smiled, tears pooling at the corners of his eyes. He did his best to pull himself over to Felix, and curled up as close as he could get.

 

“I did it,” he told him softly. He squeezed Felix’s hand that was sticking out of the leaves. “You better wake up tomorrow,” he added, as he started to cry. All of the events over the past day or so finally caught up with him. He had fucked up so many times, and now they were both in danger, and there was a good chance that Felix wouldn’t wake up because he had gone past his limits in order to save them. “Please wake up,” he sobbed. “I know I don’t like you, but I think actually I kind of do, and I don’t want you to never wake up again.”

 

Alex lay there crying for a while, the warmth of the fire the only thing that brought him any kind of comfort. He stared at the flames, remembering Felix's hands on his. There was a tightness in his chest that wouldn’t go away.

 

The forest was a different kind of loud than the city, but it wasn’t enough to keep Alex from drifting off to sleep. He fell into a fitful sort of rest.

 

 

A pained scream filled the air. Alex snapped his eyes open, looking around for the source. Felix was writhing in agony, his eyes blank, as pain wracked his body. Alex pushed himself up, and scrambled across the forest floor to get to him. Felix’s body suddenly went taut, and his screaming increased in volume. Alex grabbed his hand, and he could feel that his was ice cold. He could feel it – his body was destroying itself – he had gone too far.

 

“Fuck, shit, fuck -” Alex swore. He didn’t know what to do, but they were bound right? Felix needed help, and all he had left was magic. He let himself fall to the ground, and sat. He wouldn’t be able to completely clear his mind, but he had to try.

 

_Breathe in._

 

_Breathe out._

 

He normally went to the place where his magic was stored, but that wasn’t where he needed to be now. Where was he when he had freaked out, and used Felix’s magic, back in his apartment? What head space had he – the head! Of course! His mind was panicking, but he had to try. He closed his eyes.

 

_Breathe in._

 

_Breathe out._

 

His mind was in chaos, but the threads were still twined together, silver and gold. He ran for them, doing his best not to be overwhelmed by his own emotions. Now that he was in his mind he could feel Felix’s pain. Alex felt like he might pass out from it, so he pushed harder towards the centre. The silver thread was vibrating, and Alex grabbed it without thinking.

 

The world slowed, and he could feel the icy thread of Felix’s power, tenuous and fragile in his grasp. Alex grabbed his own golden thread, and felt the warmth and life in it, and let that fill him up. It passed through him, and he tried to push it at the silver thread, to let the warmth cradle the thread, and flow into Felix. The silver thread slowly calmed until it was just a small vibration. Alex held onto it as long as he could, just funnelling his power into it. He looked at his hands, and he could see that his own thread was growing dull, his power getting lower. He’d have to stop soon.

 

The silver thread did something unexpected then. It started to change colour, the silver warming into more of a soft, white gold. Alex was about to let go, when he saw that the once silver thread was merging with his own, twisting into it, until it was all one colour. With a rush, Alex felt the power being drawn from him, and then circling back into himself. He pried his hands loose, freeing them from the now solitary thread.

 

Alex opened his eyes, gasping, even though he hadn’t been holding his breath, he somehow felt like he had just come up from being underwater. Felix was lying on the ground, not moving, but Alex could feel him now, so clearly, like they were sharing the same body. Felix groaned, and tried to move.

 

“Felix -” Alex called his name, as he pushed up off the ground, and ran to him. “Are you okay?” he asked, petting his hair, and checking him over.

 

“I-” Felix looked at him, taking his hand, and for a moment, Alex forgot how to breathe. He could _feel_ what Felix was feeling, see his thoughts even. They stared at one another, and a world of information passed between them.

 

“I’m glad you’re okay. Do you know where we are?” he asked.

 

Another rush of thoughts and feelings hit him.

 

“We’re in Canada?!” Alex squeaked. “That’s like halfway around the world! No wonder you fucking passed out! You could have died, you idiot! Why did you send us here?” he demanded.

 

A vision of a young blond boy, happy, and smiling, holding his father’s hand, as they walked through the woods. A cabin, fishing, swimming. All these images flashed before him, and for a moment he forgot who he was.

 

“Did you come here as a child?” he asked after a minute or two of processing.

 

Felix nodded. He looked pale, and was shaking.

 

“It’s the only place I could think of,” he said, his voice cracking from all the screaming. “I wanted us to be safe – guess I aimed a little too far away,” he said, laughing. His laugh quickly turned into a cough, and Alex had to help him sit up.

 

“Well, you _did_ save us, so I guess I can’t be too mad. Also I might have made the spell worse - thought you should know. And if you know how we’re going to survive out here, I am all ears,” he said.

 

“Yes, I had noticed a change in my magical core. On the plus side, there’s no longer a dark void, sucking me dry and killing me anymore, so that’s nice,” Felix mused.

 

“Was that what was happening?” Alex asked, shocked by that information.

 

“When you push past your limits, it creates a sort of...hole that you can never fill up. I...that was close. As I said, coming here wasn’t entirely planned,” he said.

 

“We could have died...,” Alex realized.

 

“Yes. But we didn’t. Thank you for not letting that happen. Though I think we may have passed the point of no return when it comes to reversing this,” Felix said softly. He leaned against Alex, and sighed. “You...did good,” admitted. Alex could feel the slight glow of pride for having saved them while Felix was unconscious.

 

“Did you build all this?” Felix asked, looking at their shelter.

 

“Do you see anyone else around here?” Alex asked, laughing.

 

Felix ducked his head, smiling. He reached out and took Alex’s hand, and gave it a firm squeeze. There was a fluttering in Alex’s chest, and he could feel the blush returning with a vengeance, which was ridiculous. It was just hand holding.

 

“We’re naked,” Felix noted. “And I’m covered in dirt, and leaves...why is that?” he asked.

 

Alex let out a startled laugh. Right. He had forgotten about that. Too busy trying not to die.

 

“I didn’t want you to freeze,” he said. “Shit – I forgot one more thing! Stay here for a second, I need to show you something,” Alex said. He stood up, and started to walk away. The pain came a lot sooner this time, and he ran back to Felix who was staring at him with wide eyes.

 

“That’s new...,” Felix said.

 

“Yeah. Found that one out the hard way,” Alex said. “It may have gotten worse since I did the thing with the threads...,” he admitted.

 

“Threads?” Felix asked, tilting his head with curiosity. He really was a puppy.

 

“Yeah, like my magic is a gold thread, and yours was silver, and now they’re like a white gold? It’s very bright,” Alex tried to explain.

 

“Huh. I always thought of my magic being more of a pool of water, but a thread works too,” Felix said. “So, you bound us even tighter, hmm darling?” he asked.

 

Alex flushed, and looked away. Yeah, he had saved them, but at what cost? It was also his fault they were in this mess to begin with, but that was a whole other can of worms that he didn’t want to look at right then. He sighed, and wished he had clothes on so he could fiddle with the hem of his shirt or something. He felt very insecure, and being naked was not helping.

 

“Yeah, sorry. I didn’t mean to, I was just trying to keep you from dying,” he admitted.

 

Felix groaned as he stood up, wobbling on his feet. Alex reached out to catch him, and Felix took that opportunity to pull Alex into himself, tucking him in under his chin. He hugged him, and Alex floundered for a moment, before hugging back.

 

“I’m not angry,” Felix said. “After all, you saved my life, and yours in the process. We may be able to stop the progress of the spell still, even if we can’t undo what’s been done. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry, and in need of some clothes,” Felix said. “So, let’s go hunting!”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex has a lot of feelings

Alex grabbed Felix by the shoulders, and gave him a light shake, making him wobble on his feet. Alex shook his head at him, and took Felix by the hands, and walked him next to the fire.

 

“Right, you’re sitting down, and resting. We can ‘go hunting’ or whatever after. Besides, the sun’s not even up yet,” Alex said.

 

“But-” Felix started.

 

“No ‘but’s! Resting first, then doing potentially dangerous shit,” he said.

 

Felix gave him an exaggerated pout, even as he sat down. He opened his arms up, and Alex stared at him, not sure what it was he wanted. Felix kept them there, wiggling his fingers.

 

“What -?” Alex asked.

 

“I want you to snuggle me, obviously,” Felix said, giving Alex a look that suggested he was an idiot.

 

“Obviously. Sure. I’m not sitting on you,” Alex said, laughing. He went to walk away, but then he heard Felix making sad noises. Felix turned big, sad eyes up at Alex, his pout deepening just a fraction more.

 

“Please?” he asked.

 

Alex let out a long, loud sigh. How had it come to this – two grown men snuggling naked in a forest? How was this his life? He walked the two steps over to Felix, and eased himself into his lap. Arms quickly surrounded him, and pulled him against Felix’s chest. Alex tilted his head back to look at him, and could see he was smiling.

 

“Happy?” Alex asked.

 

“Immensely,” Felix said, kissing the top of Alex’s head.

 

For some reason that simple answer, and the little kiss sent a wave of warmth through Alex. He could tell that Felix meant that, thanks to the bond. He still remembered what he himself had said when he thought Felix wouldn’t wake up. Of course, that had been a stress induced reaction...he didn’t actually care for the man, did he? He had only kept Felix alive for his own survival, right? He hoped Felix couldn’t hear his thoughts right then, because Alex was panicking.

 

“Are you alright? I can feel you freaking out right now. We don’t have to do this, love,” Felix said, releasing his arms from around Alex’s middle.

 

Alex wasn’t listening. How was he going to hide things? Felix was already insufferable most of the time. He’d be so annoying if he knew that Alex...no, he couldn’t say it. It was too much. Yesterday they had been enemies! Sure, he had always enjoyed his sparring with Felix, but to actually _like_ the man? That was ridiculous!

 

“Alex?” Felix said his name when he didn’t respond.

 

“I’m fine!” Alex said loudly, his voice going high. They both knew that he was lying of course, but Felix was kind enough not to say it. Damn him and his kindness. It was endearing.

 

“Right... How about I set up some wards around us or something,”Felix offered.

 

“Do you have enough energy for that?” Alex asked.

 

“Yes, actually! Your magic sealed the hole, and then merged with my magic as it flooded back in. I’m practically overflowing,” Felix explained. “The physical fatigue will take a while to go away, but magically, I’m great!”

 

“Huh. Okay,” Alex said. How could he argue with that? He could tell it was true. He noticed something else though. “Did you put a stop to us hearing each others thoughts?” he asked, realizing that his mind was in fact quieter.

 

“That’s probably from the collar,” Felix said, pointing at Alex’s neck. “The surge of power was too much to hold back, but I’m guessing now that it’s passed a bit, that it’s helping again,” he explained.

 

Alex let out a huge sigh of relief. He had forgotten he was wearing the collar. He touched it, and felt it humming beneath his fingers. When had it gotten comfortable? Maybe it had never been as uncomfortable as he had thought? It was a strange piece of magic.

 

“Right, good,” Alex said. He didn’t want Felix hearing his every thought. That would be too embarrassing, especially while he was totally not freaking out.

 

“Anyway, I should -” Felix stopped short. There was a rustling sound off to the left. They both froze and didn’t move for a moment.

 

“What iwas that?” Alex whispered.

 

“Probably a deer, or something,” Felix whispered back. Despite his words, he crouched down, and his hands lit up with crackling energy. It was strange, but it didn’t seem so cold now, or dark. That didn’t change the feeling of ‘I will kill you’ radiating from Felix however.

 

The bush moved, and Felix shot the blast off, without a moments hesitation. There was a small screech, followed by a tiny thud, and then silence.

 

“Oh my god! Did you even know what it was?” Alex demanded. “What if that had been a person??”

 

Felix walked forward into the bushes, and reappeared a moment later with a small furry animal. It looked like it was a rabbit. Alex didn’t feel great about killing things, but they did need to eat. However, his point still stood.

 

“It wasn’t a person, and if it was, there’s a good chance they would have been looking for us in order to kill us. Since they already got a chance to try and kill us, I figure they don’t get a second one,” Felix said.

 

Alex swallowed hard. That was a fair point. He went to brush his hands through his hair, and could feel that it was covered in leaves and twigs, all tangled up in his waves. He sighed, and started picking them out.

 

“Do we know who did that by the way?” Alex asked as he worked at a tangle.

 

“I have a few thoughts,” Felix said, coming to sit down next to him. He placed the rabbit on the ground, and started pulling leaves from Alex’s hair too. “They could be Council members who don’t want me sharing the secrets I know,” he said. “Or it could be other, smaller high powered groups wanting to make sure I don’t become competition,” he continued, pausing for a moment to work on a stubborn knot of hair.

 

“Or?” Alex asked.

 

“Or it could be bounty hunters, or possibly old enemies wanting revenge now that I don’t have protection from The Council,” he concluded. He continued running his fingers through Alex’s hair, gently working out the tangles. Alex leaned into his touch. It felt nice, and calming.

 

“So we don’t know for sure then,” he surmised.

 

“No, however I know it’s someone powerful, since that fire was not going out, no matter what I did, which doesn’t narrow it down exactly, but it does let us know that we need to be careful. Speaking of which, I still need to set up some wards,” he said, pulling his fingers from Alex’s hair. Alex didn’t mean to let out the small whine of disappointment, but it happened, and there was no hiding it.

 

“I’ll be right back,” Felix said, laughing. He patted Alex’s head, and then went as far as he could without feeling pain from the distance restriction from the bond. Alex watched as he set up the wards, bright strings of white light crisscrossing, over and over until for one brief moment they blocked out the view. When Felix lowered his hands down, the light disappeared, and Alex could feel the intense humming of the wards even from where he sat. They were stronger than the ones The Council had put on that room he had been in. Felix went around and continued layering wards, all the way around them in a large circle. When he was done he came back, and sat down.

 

“There, that should buy us enough time to escape if someone comes. And don’t worry, it only effects people, and other beings like us. It won’t hurt the bunnies,” he said. “It will, however, electrocute anyone who tries to cross the threshold who isn’t you or I, so we should be safe for a while,” he explained.

 

“Who taught you how to ward? I’ve never seen any that strong before, except for that one time we raided one of The Council’s storehouses. Even then, all they did was ring, not electrocute people,” Alex said.

 

Felix went quiet, and Alex suddenly felt the urge to cry. He realized after a moment that it wasn’t him, but rather Felix who was sad.

 

 

“You don’t have to -” he started. Felix waved the worry away.

 

“It’s fine. The Duchess taught me. She was like a mother to me, in many ways. I’m technically older but that never seemed to matter,” he said. The corners of his mouth turned up in a small, sorrowful smile. “Her magic is...something else. She helped me discover some of the things I can do, that others cannot. She taught me how to do that teleportation spell,” he said. “And how to intuitively use magic, rather than spell books. Gods, I’m going to miss her,” he said. Felix looked away, and rubbed his face, and Alex realized with dawning horror that he was crying.

 

Alex didn’t think about it, he just sort of threw himself at Felix, and pulled him into a hug. He vowed to himself to fix this, one way or another. It wasn’t fair that Felix lost so much because of a decision Alex had made. Felix was holding on to him tightly, and Alex could feel his tears hitting his skin.

 

“We need clothes,” Alex said. He didn’t know what to say in this situation, and stating a fact seemed reasonable. It made Felix laugh at any rate.

 

“So we do,” he said. He pulled back, wiped his eyes, and then snapped his fingers. Alex looked down, and just like that he was wearing clothing. He had on a red flannel shirt, and a pair of jeans, as well as socks, shoes, and underwear. Felix had a matching flannel shirt, only in blue, and was similarly dressed. “There, now we look the part,” he said, smiling again. “I must say darling, red really suits you,” he added, winking.

 

There was another rustle, and a deer poked its head out of the bushes. It was nibbling on greenery, and Alex very slowly turned to face it, being careful not to move too fast, or make too much noise.

 

“Teach me how to hunt,” Alex whispered against Felix’s ear. Felix nodded, and slowly moved so he was sitting behind Alex. He wrapped his arms around him, and grabbed Alex’s hands. Alex could feel the energy thrumming between them, and much like with the flame they had made, Felix pulled out the power until Alex could feel it, and control it himself. Their hands were crackling with bright energy, and the deer stopped to look at them.

 

“Breathe in, and as you exhale, release it,” Felix whispered.

 

Alex took a deep breathe, and felt the tingling power, the way it crackled over his skin, and made his arm hair stand up. The deer went back to eating. Alex exhaled, and straightened his fingers, releasing the magic as Felix aimed it. It hit the deer in the side, and the animal fell to the ground.

 

“Is it dead?” Alex whispered.

 

Felix picked up one of Alex’s hands again, and before he could blink, they had discharged another, smaller blast at the deer.

 

“Now it’s dead,” Felix said. He stood up, and offered a hand to Alex, who accepted it, and they walked over to the deer. It looked like it was sleeping, only with it’s eyes open. There was a slight mark from where the magic had hit, but otherwise, it was unharmed. Despite that, Alex didn’t think hunting was for him. He just felt sad now.

 

“We’ll need to prepare it, and the rabbit,” Felix said.

 

“Do you know how to do that?” Alex asked, because honestly, he had no idea.

 

“Sort of? My dad used to do it, but I kind of remember how. I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Felix said.

 

Alex gave him a skeptical look, but kept his thoughts to himself. Alright, most of his thoughts except for one.

 

“Why didn’t we just magic ourselves some food, like with the clothes?” he asked.

 

Felix looked deeply offended, but Alex could feel it – the panic.

 

“Why would I do that when we can work on offensive spells?” Felix said.

 

“You didn’t think of it did you? Like it just didn’t even occur to you,” Alex accused.

 

Felix rounded on him, poking him sharply in the chest.

 

“I notice you didn’t offer to conjure us food either,” he challenged.

 

Alex had to laugh at that.

 

“That’s because I suck at conjuring, idiot. I can’t believe I got so caught up in this that I didn’t just tell you to do it,” Alex said, shaking his head. He really was an idiot sometimes.

 

“Aha! So you admit that it was your fault!” Felix said.

 

“What?! No! That’s not – argh – why are you like this?” Alex demanded.

 

Felix just grinned, pleased with himself. He bent down, touched the deer and levitated it back towards their shelter. Alex stomped after him, annoyed that he had been so easily beaten. Stupid Felix, and his stupid smug face.

 

“You should go practice that attack while I get food ready,” Felix said.

 

So smug. Alex wanted to kis- no – punch! Definitely he wanted to punch him in the face. There was nothing but face punching on his mind. His heart hammered in his chest. He gave a quick, jerky nod to Felix, and marched as far as he could get, which wasn’t very far at all. He could always practice on a tree or something he supposed. It was hard to focus though when his mind was being weird.

 

There was a fallen log he could see, and decided to practice on that. He had no interest in hurting more animals. He thought about the spell, and he could recall what his fingers had felt like, but that didn’t help him figure out how to draw the power out. He sat, and meditated as he always did, and let himself sink into his core.

 

He gasped. His core was no longer gold, but a warm brightness that seemed to sing to him. He reached out, and touched the glowing thread, and gasped as power arched through him, sending a mixture of pleasure and pain racing through his body. He let go, panting, and stared at it.

 

 _So that’s new..._ he thought.

 

He grabbed it once more and let out a quiet moan as it overwhelmed him with sensation. How was he supposed to control this? Did magic always feel like this? Was this how Felix felt with his magic, or was it because their magic was combined that it felt so damn good. He tugged a small portion loose, and held it, letting it suffuse through him, down his arms, through his fingers, and into his palms where he held it.

 

It felt less intensely pleasurable once it was harnessed, but it was still making him ache in a way that was strange, and new. It hadn’t been like this when Felix had helped, and he wondered if Felix had been the one feeling this the whole time. He really needed to pay better attention to what they were both feeling, instead of just himself.

 

The log lay before him, just within the wards. Alex did his best to concentrate, breathed in once, and released the magic as he exhaled. The log snapped in half, splinters of dried wood flying everywhere. Alex sat there, panting, and aching, unable to move. His body was humming with power and arousal. He was hard, and he pressed the heel of his palm against his cock through his jeans, rubbing it despite himself.

 

“Not the time body,” he hissed to himself.

 

He could hear Felix working, and glanced over his shoulder to see that his back was to him. Alex needed to calm down before Felix saw. He pictured anything he could think of that would do the trick – screaming babies or maybe his grandma or – nothing was working.

 

“Alex, love, quick question – you wouldn’t happen to be horribly aroused right now would you? Because I’m feeling it, and it is making it _very_ hard to work,” Felix called out.

 

“Don’t worry, just a magic side effect,” Alex called back. “It’ll be gone any second now.”

 

He didn’t sound very reassuring even to his own ears. He doubted Felix would buy that. Alex could sense him walking over, suddenly overly aware of him, even with his back turned. Warm hands landed on his shoulders, making him jump.

 

“Does this happen to you?” Alex asked. He felt so embarrassed.

 

“I can’t say that it has,” Felix said. “Do you require help?” he asked.

 

“Nope, I am fine. Perfectly okay,” he squeaked.

 

Felix slowly wrapped his arms around Alex.

 

“Are you sure, darling?” he purred. “You know I’m always willing to help you,” he said.

 

“For a price?” Alex asked.

 

“I think we’ve moved beyond that, don’t you? After all, I saved you, you saved me,” he said.

 

“Yeah but you still own me,” Alex countered, turning to face him. He needed to try harder, to stop giving in so much. That was how he’d gotten into so much trouble to begin with.

 

Felix pulled back, and snapped his fingers. The contract appeared, and Alex stared at it, not sure what was happening.

 

“What are you -” Alex started to ask.

 

Felix smashed it, the orb shattering in the air in a million pieces. Sparkling dust, and shards fell to the ground, and blew away in the wind. Alex stared in shocked confusion.

 

“Close your mouth,” Felix said gently, tapping under Alex’s chin. Alex snapped his mouth shut.

 

“Why would you – I mean thank you? But why would you do that?” he asked.

 

“Our souls are bound, I have no use for a contract,” Felix said.

 

Alex didn’t know what to say to that, and he could tell that Felix was holding something back, but thanks to the collar, he couldn’t tell what. He touched the collar.

 

“I guess I can’t take this off though, can I,” he said. “I have to admit, I kinda like it...which is probably weird,” he added, laughing. He felt self conscious about liking it, and at the same time, it had become a sort of comfort to him.

 

“I don’t think it’s weird. I like the collar too. It makes me feel like we belong together,” Felix said. Alex looked up at him, and saw that he was blushing. He could feel his embarrassment, and realized that Felix hadn’t meant to say that out loud.

 

Alex didn’t know what possessed him, which was a feeling he was experiencing a lot lately, but he turned fully into Felix’s arms, and reached up, and pulled him into a kiss. Felix moaned into his mouth, and brought them even closer together, one hand twisting in the back of Alex’s shirt, and the other in his hair. Alex wrapped his hands in the back of Felix’s shirt, pulling it from his jeans.

 

He then said the one thing he never thought he’d say to Felix, “I want you to fuck me.”

 

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Felix grow even closer.

Felix stared at Alex, a small, surprised look on his face. There were a million questions written in his expression, and Alex was wondering which one he would ask, if any of them. Alex gave him a moment. He could feel Felix’s delight, but also his uncertainty.

 

“If you don’t want to -” Alex started to say.

 

“I want to! I really, really want to,” Felix assured him, cutting him off mid sentence. He looked away, blushing as he scratched the back of his head.

 

Alex laughed. It was sweet how eager Felix was, endearing even. Fuck. He wasn’t supposed to be cute. Alex slipped one of his hands up to Felix’s neck, and pulled their faces together, moving them so their foreheads touched.

 

“Then what’s the hold up?” Alex asked, tilting his head so he could brush his lip against Felix’s -soft and teasing.

 

Alex could feel Felix’s lips twitch up into a smile, before pressing against his own, claiming them in a kiss. He let himself fall into the rhythm of it, nipping at Felix’s lips when he started going too fast. Alex tugged at Felix’s shirt, trying to undo the buttons.

 

Who invented shirts with buttons? He didn’t really mean to, but he was so charged, and it just made so much more sense to pop all the buttons off with a flick of his hand. The tingling magic made him moan, sending sparks of pleasure through him. He slid his trembling fingers under the fabric of Felix’s shirt, feeling his smooth skin. Felix, never one to be outdone, used his hands to physically tear open Alex’s shirt, the buttons flying in every direction, joining the ones from Felix’s shirt on the ground. Alex pushed Felix back, knocking him on his ass. He removed his now very ruined shirt, and tossed it aside.

 

Felix was staring up at him, a fierce hunger in his eyes that was making Alex fumble as he undid the button on his jeans. Alex stood up, and slowly slid his jeans down, Felix watching every movement of his strip tease.

 

“See anything you like?” Alex asked, trying to flirt. He winked, and almost instantly regretted it.

 

Felix didn’t seem to notice how awkward Alex was being, and bit his bottom lip, and then licked it. His eyes roamed over every inch of skin that was revealed before him. Alex felt like he was high, adrenaline, arousal, and magic all making for an intoxicating experience. As his jeans hit the ground, he noticed that Felix’s eyes shifted to his erection that was tenting his boxers. He gave it a tantalizing rub through the thin material, moaning at the delicious friction it created.

 

Alex didn’t want to tease himself too much, so he let go and kicked off his boots, and slid off his socks. Then all that was left was his underwear, and the collar. He hooked his thumbs in the waist band of his boxers, and started to ease them down. It was a slow torture, but worth it to watch the way Felix stared, utterly transfixed, as he revealed his hard, aching cock. He also didn’t miss the way Felix licked his lips, as if longing for another taste. He let his boxers fall to the ground, and stepped out of them.

 

Once he was naked, he wasn’t sure how to continue with his seduction. All he knew was that Felix was wearing too much clothes, and wasn’t actively fucking Alex, and therefore he needed to seduce harder. Alex took his cock in hand, and gave it a few slow strokes, Felix groaning with him as he finally touched himself. He walked over to where Felix was still on the ground, and lowered himself to his knees so he could straddle him.

 

“You planning on riding me, or something?” Felix asked. He sounded like he had been running a race, he was panting so hard.

 

Now there was an idea. Alex liked it. So far Felix had been in control of pretty much all of their encounters. Maybe it was Alex’s turn to try and take Felix apart. He nodded his head, and held out his hand. Felix must have gotten the message, because he slid his fingers over Alex’s, and then they were slick with a clear substance that smelled vaguely citrus-y. Alex reached behind himself, and let out a small, pleased groan as his slicked up fingers found his hole. He pressed one finger in, the burn not quite enough.

 

Felix kept distracting him by sucking on his neck, leaving even more marks, this time all along the edge of the collar. Alex keened as he felt one of Felix’s fingers join his own. Fuck, he wanted more. He removed his hand, and undid Felix’s jeans, pushing them down enough to free his erection. He locked eyes with Felix, lined himself up, and slowly eased himself onto his cock until he was fully seated in his lap.

 

“Fuck, how do you feel so good?” Felix cried out, whining as Alex lifted up.

 

“Must be magic,” Alex said, teasing as he let gravity lower him down again.

 

They fell into a quick rhythm, Alex bouncing himself on Felix’s cock, up and down. He let out a whimper as Felix’s cock grazed his prostate as he came down again. Felix grinned, and wrapped his fingers tight around Alex’s hips, and then held him still, his hips rutting up into him, hitting that spot over and over until Alex was almost crying from how good it felt.

 

“Felix!” he cried out, like he was praying to one of his gods, begging for aid.

 

If Felix was a god, he wasn’t one of mercy. His fingers dug in, and Alex was sure there would be beautiful bruises the next day, and Felix fucked him hard. Alex was coming apart again, and all he could do was hang on for dear life. He tried to move his hips more, but Felix was stronger than he looked, his hold never wavering. Alex let out a pitiful whine of desperation as he got closer to the edge, but was unable to go over.

 

“I’m so close,” he whimpered.

 

“Me too,” Felix said. “I have an idea,” he added.

 

Alex yelped when suddenly Felix let go of one of his hips, his weight shifting. Felix moved his hand in between them, and Alex could see that his fingertips were glowing with magic. Felix drew his index finger over Alex cock, the magic sparking between them, creating a new sensation of tiny shocks of pleasure.

 

“Fuck!” Alex swore, gasping as Felix rubbed his thumb against the slit. The magic in his thumb seemed to travel up his cock, and he couldn’t tell if it was pleasure or pain, only that he didn’t want it to stop. It was like a jolt to his system, and his brain was being overloaded with sensations, until he couldn’t tell what was what anymore.

 

Felix’s fingers danced along Alex’s cock, making him buck, and cry.

 

“Please, Felix, I need to cum, make me cum, please,” Alex begged.

 

“Not yet,” Felix said. “Just a little longer, love.”

 

Alex could feel tears in his eyes, threatening to spill over. It was too much. His body couldn’t take it all, he was sure of it. He couldn’t stop his body from shaking with the pleasure, and the sparks of magic were driving him to distraction. Felix changed his grip again, dragging his magic-filled fingers down Alex’s back, his nails digging in as he himself got closer to the edge.

 

He didn’t know what he was waiting for, until Felix drew their foreheads together again, and he opened his eyes to look at Alex. Felix’s eyes were glowing, and Alex felt himself being pulled under the wave of magic that Felix opened between them, arching down his spin, and into his core. He lit up like a firework, his nerves exploding with pleasure, and the world turned to bliss as he came, and Felix came, and he could feel their pleasure coalescing, drawing them together until Alex wasn’t sure where he began, and where Felix ended.

 

Alex gasped for breath, his body shaking, and thrumming with magic and pleasure, and the joy of two souls touching. He knew that there was no going back to how things were before, that nothing could ever compare to this. His hands trembled as he touched Felix’s face, both of them panting, breathing each others air. Neither said a word, they just stayed there on the ground, looking at each other. Alex felt like maybe he was seeing Felix for the first time.

 

Felix was the first to break the silence.

 

“I’ve been alive for so long, and yet I never knew that anything like this was possible with another person. I can’t believe we wasted so many years fighting each other, when there was such beauty and wonder to be experienced,” he said. His voice trembled as he spoke, cracking here and there, and Alex was stunned to see that Felix was crying.

 

Maybe it was the magic flowing between them, or the exhaustion, or the experience they had shared, but Alex was crying too. He held on to Felix, and they continued to not move, and just be.

 

Eventually they had to move, the cold of the ground and early morning air seeping in. Felix placed a soft kiss to Alex’s cheek, called a blanket from somewhere, and wrapped them up. They lay down on the ground, checked the wards for any holes, and fell asleep in each others arms.

 

Alex didn’t know what time it was when he woke up, but he could smell meat cooking, and realized just how hungry he was. The sun was pretty high over head, and he figured it was sometime either around noon, or just after. He stretched, his body creaking and complaining at him for having slept on the ground. He looked off to where the camp fire was going still, or maybe again, and Felix was there making breakfast. Alex untangled himself from the blanket, and realized that he was, once again, naked.

 

“Do me solid, and zap me on some clothes?” Alex called.

 

“I don’t know...I’m pretty hungry, and you look awfully tasty,” Felix said, cackling when Alex blushed despite how awful the line was. Before he could ask again however, Felix pointed to a neatly folded pile of fresh looking clothes next to him. Alex picked up the blanket and wrapped it around himself before waddling over to the clothing.

 

“I see you’ve been busy,” Alex noted, taking in the food and clothes, and -was that a cabin? “How long have you been up?!” he demanded. “Also, how long are we staying here that you needed to build an entire cabin?”

 

“Oh! Yes, the cabin! Do you like it? It took me a few hours to make, but all in all I think it turned out rather nice, don’t you?” he asked.

 

“Yes, it’s lovely. Answer the rest of my questions,” Alex said, poking him in the arm.

 

Felix let out a huge sigh, as if being honest were the greatest challenge of his life. Maybe it was.

 

“I may have gotten up about an hour after you fell asleep. You were sleeping soundly, and I felt so good, and I wanted to make sure you were comfortable while we figure out what to do, and -” Felix said, babbling. Alec silenced him with a peck on his cheek that made them both blush.

 

“Thank you. That was very thoughtful of you,” Alex said. “I didn’t realize staying here was a part of the plan, but I guess that makes sense. If they can’t find us, they can’t kill us,” he surmised.

 

“Pretty much, yeah,” Felix agreed. “I don’t intend for us to be stranded out here for eternity, just until I can set us up somewhere safer, and maybe get some help,” he said.

 

“Help?” Alex asked. “What kind of help?”

 

“I have a few friends outside of The Council - shocking, I know,” he said when Alex raised his eyebrows at that. “And if I can get in touch with them, they might be able to help us,” he continued. “The problem will be getting to them without alerting anyone of our presence.”

 

“How are we going to do that then?” Alex asked.

 

“Well, I have a few thoughts on the matter – however I’m thinking that a Whisper might be our best chance,” Felix said.

 

“What’s a Whisper?” Alex asked. He could admit that maybe, just maybe, The Council had a larger spell pool than the White Witches, as much as it irked him to think it.

 

“It’s a spell that...hmm, how do I explain it?” Felix said, tapping his chin. “It’s like a message that gets beamed directly into someone’s mind, and they hear it like a ‘whisper’. It’s a tricky spell however, and it can be intercepted by a Listener. Fortunately, The Council only has a small handful of Listeners. Unfortunately, there’s a good chance they’ll be keeping an eye out on my contacts, so we might be overheard. That being said, I still think it’s our best option,” he concluded.

 

“What the hell is a Listener? Why can’t we just send a letter or something?” Alex asked.

 

“Because it will take too long?” Felix said, though it sounded more like a question. “And it can also be intercepted?”

 

“Okay, but they’ll be looking for spells, not, like, a post card,” Alex argued.

 

Felix glared at him, but Alex could see the wheels turning in his mind, thinking about all the angles, and possibilities. He made an annoyed tsking sound.

 

“As loathe as I am to admit it, your idea might be better than mine,” Felix admitted.

 

“Sometimes the simple answer is the most effective,” Alex said.

 

Felix made a playful swat at him, but otherwise didn’t complain about the change in plans. He conjured some paper, and a pen, and started to write out a letter. Alex decided that clothes were a good option, and went into the cabin to get dressed. He grabbed the clothes, then walked over, and opened the door.

 

He almost dropped his clothes when he saw the inside of the cabin. It was so cozy, despite the fact that it seemed to consist of only one room, and a bathroom. He ran over to the bathroom, and yes, it had a functioning tub, toilet, and sink. He tried all the taps, and was delighted when water came out of them.

 

“Screw getting dressed, I’m having a bath,” he said.

 

Alex turned on the tub, hot water pouring out – a magic spell no doubt – and let the blanket fall to the floor. He was pleased to note that he did indeed have bruises on his hips, and he rubbed over them, hissing at the delicious reminder of the night before. He then placed his clothes on top of the closed toilet seat cover, and eased himself over the edge of the tub. His toes were so cold, and the water felt like it was burning. After a few minutes he adjusted, and sat down in the water. Once the tub was full, he reclined into it, and let the heat of the water chase away all his aches and pains from sleeping on the ground.

 

“Note to self – make sure to thank Felix properly for this,” Alex said before ducking his head beneath the water. His hair floated out around him, and he gave his head a little shake, enjoying the way the water felt as it moved through his hair. He sat back up, squeezing some of the water out of his locks, and let out a contented sigh. It wasn’t home, but if he had to be stranded then this was pretty damn good.

 

Alex could hardly believe he was on the run, with Felix of all people. Then again, if someone had asked him a few days ago if he thought the most intimate he would ever be with another person would end up being with his enemy, he probably would have said they were crazy. He really needed to stop calling Felix his enemy too. They were hardly that anymore, if they ever really had been to begin with. Which begged the question – what were they?

 

It wasn’t like they were dating. Their souls just happened to be joined at the metaphorical hip. On the one hand, it would be best to separate their souls, before they lost all semblance of themselves. On the other hand, was it really so bad to be connected like that? Aside from the fact that they couldn’t be very far from each other, it had been rather enjoyable.

 

Alex shook himself, smacking his wet hands against his face.

 

“Don’t be an idiot! Of course you want to be free,” he told himself. “Right?”

 

He could feel a pit of doubt opening in his mind. Sure, Felix was a lot nicer than he had originally thought, and it was true that he was finding himself enjoying being with him – but at what cost?

 

There was a small knock on the door, startling Alex from his thoughts. He moved to cover himself, and then realized how silly that was. Felix had seen more than just his body by this point.

 

“Come in,” he called out.

 

Felix opened the door, and poked his head in. He offered Alex a small smile, which Alex returned without really thinking about it. It was so domestic – almost like they were married.

 

“Breakfast is ready, darling,” Felix said. He blew Alex a kiss and then shut the door.

 

Alright, so they were basically married now. Alex blushed, and buried his face in his hands, drawing his knees up towards his chest.

 

“How is this my life?” he asked the now empty room. Now that Felix was inside the cabin, Alex could feel him more easily, and he let his mind stretch out, and brush against Felix’s, feeling how content he was. Alex knew that they couldn’t do this forever, but maybe just for a little while longer, they could pretend.

 

He hopped out of the bath, and drained the water before grabbing a towel, and drying off. He pulled his clothes on – another plaid number – and headed into the main area. The fireplace was going, and Felix was putting plates of food down on the table.

 

“Feel better, love?” he asked, beaming at Alex.

 

Alex’s stomach did a strange somersault, and his heart seemed to flutter for a moment. He had to remember the question before he could answer, and Felix just looked at him the entire time, patient and waiting.

 

“Yeah, I feel a lot better,” Alex said. He sat down at the table, Felix helping him by pushing the chair in behind him.

 

“Good. Now, I was thinking after breakfast we could blah blah blah,” Felix was speaking but Alex was too busy staring at his face. Felix’s mouth was moving, and all Alex could think about was kissing them. Something must have shown on his face, or Felix must have asked a question because he stopped, and gave Alex a funny look.

 

“Are you even listening?” Felix asked.

 

“Hmm? Oh, yes, sorry, I’m just a bit tired still I guess,” Alex said, hoping the excuse would hold.

 

Felix face softened in sympathy.

 

“Me too. How about we eat, have a nap, and then after we can talk about how to send this letter, hmm?” Felix asked.

 

“Sounds perfect,” Alex agreed, and found that he meant it.

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just doing the dishes, when things get a little bit dirty.

It was the afternoon, and Alex watched Felix tapping his pen on the dining table as he tried to think of what to write in his letter. Apparently the first three drafts didn’t ‘emphasize how dire the situation is’, so he was trying again.

 

“How about, ‘My dearest Cecilia, I am going to die if you do not come to my aid?” Felix said.

 

“I think that makes it sound like you’re exaggerating, or possibly leading her into a trap. Try again,” Alex said.

 

Felix grumbled as he crumpled up the paper, and tossed it behind him onto the growing pile. He pulled out another slip, and began writing.

 

“Alright, fine, I’ll be less melodramatic, and more to the point - ‘Cecilia, I fucked up’. How’s that?” he asked.

 

Alex nodded. It was a much better start.

 

“Now all you have to do is tell her what we need, and how to get to us before we’re found,” Alex said.

 

Felix bit the end of the pen, and then grinned, and began writing furiously. When he was done, he put down the pen and slid the letter across the table for Alex to read.

 

“Cecilia, I fucked up,” Alex read, starting from the top. “I got involved with a White Witch, and now I’ve been exiled from The Council and someone is trying to murder us. They set his apartment on fire -with us still in it! I need your help,” he continued reading, nodding along. So far so good. He got to a point where there appeared to be a big space without words, which seemed weird, but then Felix was a peculiar man. “We need somewhere safe, and the name of whoever is trying to get us so I can put a stop to this. It shouldn’t take long. I know you don’t owe me anything, but please, for old time’s sake, help us. Sincerely, Felix Aberdeen,” Alex finished. “It’s good. I would have left less space in the middle, but hey, you do whatever makes you happy,” he said, sliding the letter back across the table.

 

Felix picked it up, folded it, and placed it in an envelope.

 

“We’ll need to find a town somewhere so we can mail this,” Felix said. “How illegal is it, do you think, to make stamps out of nothing? Because I feel like that’s pretty illegal...but we also need them to send this letter,” Felix said.

 

“I’m surprised you’d care about legalities like that,” Alex said, eyeing him suspiciously.

 

“Oh, I don’t, I just wanted you to be aware that some law breaking was going to be happening,” Felix said, offering up a cheeky grin. “I wouldn’t want to upset your delicate sensibilities, now would I?”

 

Alex leaned over, and grabbed a piece of paper, crumpled it, and tossed it at Felix’s face. He missed slightly, and it bounced off his head instead, but it was close enough. Felix let out a laugh, his mouth turning up into a pleased smile, and the corners of his eyes wrinkling with mirth. Alex couldn’t help but smile back.

 

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” Alex said, trying to pout. He was smiling too hard though, and he just ended up laughing.

 

“You think I’m cute?” Felix asked, eyes twinkling. “And here I thought you were barely tolerating me,” he said.

 

“You can be cute, and intolerable at the same time. Like a skunk! Cute, but also smelly, and ultimately unwanted,” Alex teased. It was reminding him of when they would duel before everything happened. It always seemed to devolve into this sort of banter, where Felix flirted with unabashed enthusiasm, and Alex insulted him. The only difference was that now it was friendly, and a comforting presence in the madness that was their lives.

 

“Did you just call me a skunk? I am offended, good sir,” Felix said with mock sincerity.

 

“I didn’t call you a skunk, I simply compared you to one,” Alex parried. “Those are two very different things,” he said, as he cleared the table of their breakfast dishes. They should have done them before the nap, and the letter, but they didn’t, and now he’d have to scrub them. He placed them in the sink, tossed some soap on them, and ran the water.

 

Felix came up behind him, and held him by the waist. A soft kiss was placed on his neck, just above the collar, and Alex’s heart fluttered in his chest. He tried to concentrate on dishes, but it was rather hard when Felix was teasing all the bruises he had left over the last few days.

 

“Is this your idea of helping with dishes?” Alex asked. He let out a small gasp as Felix gently bit his earlobe.

 

“Not really, no,” Felix confessed, whispering the words against Alex’s tingling ear.

 

“Then what are you doing?” Alex asked, his words catching on a moan.

 

“What do you think I’m doing?” Felix asked. He held Alex’s hips in place, while he pressed himself against his ass. Alex could feel his growing hardness, and blushed.

 

“Why Mr. Aberdeen, if I didn’t know any better, I would think you were trying to use me as a means to get off,” Alex said, even as he reached back to pull him in closer. He swivelled his hips, moving them in a slow circle, and was delighted when Felix let out a pleased moan.

 

“Don’t worry, darling, I’m going to get you off too,” Felix promised.

 

Felix slid one hand beneath Alex’s t-shirt, while the other palmed him through his jeans. Alex gasped, bucking into his touch. He tweaked one of Alex’s nipples, and then the other, eliciting a series of high pitched whines as shocks of pleasure went through him.

 

“I want you to finish the dishes before I make you come,” Felix said, his lips caressing Alex’s ear again.

 

“I don’t think I can,” Alex said, shaking already with anticipation.

 

“You can, and you will, or else I’ll punish you,” Felix said as he dragged his blunt nails down Alex’s chest. It created lines of pain that made Alex cried out, as his knees knocked together. Gods, that felt so good, even though it hurt. Alex didn’t know what compelled him, but he wanted to see where this would go.

 

“How will you punish me?” Alex asked, a shiver of excitement running down his spine.

 

Felix traced one finger over the collar, and the excruciating pain from the other day came flooding back to him. Right, that was indeed a punishment. He didn’t know why he was agreeing to this game, but he kind of liked it. The boundaries set on him somehow made him even more aroused – which meant he needed to wash faster. There were actually quite a few dishes from breakfast, and if he didn’t work quickly, he’d be in for pain. Alex put his shaking hands into the water, and grabbed a plate.

 

“Good boy,” Felix purred, rubbing over Alex’s skin.

 

“Fuck, do you have any idea what that does to me?” Alex asked, the words escaping without thought.

 

“I have some idea,” Felix said, undoing the button and Alex’s jeans. He slipped his hand inside, cool fingers meeting hot skin, and took Alex’s cock in hand.

 

Alex froze for a moment, lost in the pleasure of being touched, before remembering the rules of their game. He started to wash the plate, and as his sponge went around the plate, Felix would slowly grind his own erection against Alex’s ass. He could feel how hard Felix was now, and he wasn’t sure either of them would last through dishes. He did his best to focus, but it was so hard when he was being jerked off with slow strokes that were making his toes want to curl. Heat was pooling in his core, and he was beginning to think this was a losing battle.

 

“Come on, you gotta wash the dishes,” Felix said, his other hand going back to play with Alex’s nipples. Each little tug on them made shocks of pleasure run down his spine, and all too soon he was panting, as he desperately tried to finish washing the plate. He picked it up, just as Felix bit down on his jaw. He almost dropped the damn thing, and had to steady himself on the edge of the sink before he could continue.

 

“Problem, darling?” Felix asked, knowing damn well what he was doing to him. Alex swore lightly under his breath, and picked the plate up once more. He managed to put it in the drying rack, just before Felix started to pull Alex’s pants down.

 

“What are you -” Alex went to ask.

 

“Shh, focus on the dishes,” Felix said.

 

He heard Felix undo his zipper too, and then felt a cool drizzle of liquid over his ass, and down his crack. Felix took his clever hands off of Alex for a moment, making him whimper from the loss, but soon returned them, pulling Alex’s ass cheeks apart, and slipping his cock between them. He slid his cock upwards, sliding in the lube, and then down again, using Alex to bring himself pleasure.

 

Something about that thought felt so filthy to Alex, like he was just a toy, there to do dishes, and be fucked. He let out a desperate moan, as he tried to finish the next plate. He didn’t know why, but the idea of being used like some sort of glorified sex toy was making him feel hot all over with desire.

 

“Do you like it when I use you like this?” Felix asked, his voice low, and rough with need.

 

Alex could only nod his head, his thoughts becoming clouded with pleasure.

 

“You better do the dishes then, or I’ll end up coming without you, and we don’t want that. You don’t want me to have to punish you, do you?” Felix asked. He teased Alex’s ass by giving it a sharp smack, making Alex buck and whine as it sent a jolt of pleasure and pain through him. Alex had no idea pain could feel so good, even though it was fairly light, he wanted to explore it more.

 

He finished the second dish, which left their glasses, cutlery, a frying pan, and a spatula. He was doomed. Felix was sliding his cock up and down, and the head would sometimes rub against Alex’s hole. It was the worst sort of tease – not even close to enough to be satisfying. The only reason he wasn’t a mewling, crying mess, begging to be fucked already, was because he didn’t want to lose the game they were playing. He reached into the water and wiped down the first glass.

 

Felix reached around Alex, and started to jerk him off again, this time faster, and harder. Alex dropped the glass into the water, and hung on to the sink, his breathing coming short, sharp gasps, as he felt himself draw closer to the edge. He was going to lose, and he didn’t even care anymore.

 

“Do you want to come that badly?” Felix asked as Alex bucked up into his hand, his hips moving on their own. He let out a strangled cry of pleasure, as Felix’s cock nudged his hole. Fuck, he wanted him inside of him so bad. A desperate whine escaped him as he pushed back against Felix’s cock.

 

“Do you want me to fuck you, love? Is that what you’re trying to tell me? That you want me to take you, and fill you, and claim you until you’re screaming?” Felix asked, his warm breath tickling Alex’s ear.

 

Alex nodded, the dishes now abandoned in the sink.

 

“Please,” he begged.

 

“Please what?” Felix asked.

 

“Please fuck me until I scream,” Alex said.

 

“As you wish, darling,” Felix said. His cock nudged at Alex’s entrance, the slick tip pressing into him. Alex let out a pleased gasp as he breached him. He felt so full, and Felix didn’t even give him an entire breath to adjust before he started to fuck him in earnest. Felix angled them so that Alex was almost bent at ninety degrees over the sink. He held Alex down with one hand on the back of his neck, and the other on his hips, and then fucked him hard, and rough. Each thrust seemed to graze his prostate, and soon Alex was mewling, his voice going higher as he let out his bliss filled cries.

 

He didn’t mean to cum so soon, but everything felt so intense, and without warning, he was cumming, his body going taut with pleasure as he gripped the counter, his cock twitching, and untouched. It took several minutes before he was aware of what had happened, and that he had lost, which meant a punishment. He couldn’t even say he was sorry for losing, he felt so good. Felix came a moment later, and Alex winced as he pulled out.

 

“Did that feel good?” Felix asked.

 

Alex nodded.

 

“I lost though,” he said, pouting.

 

“You did indeed,” Felix agreed. “Which means it’s time for your punishment,” he said.

 

Alex let out a small whine, but didn’t argue – he wasn’t that much of a sore loser. Felix reached for the collar, and Alex braced himself for pain. It didn’t come, and he stared in confusion, until he felt his cock filling again. It was too soon, too fast, and it hurt, but not like he knew the collar could. He was trapped between the counter and Felix, and he went to touch himself, when Felix grabbed his hands, and placed them back on the counter.

 

“No touching,” he said.

 

Alex could feel the pleasure building in him, much faster than he was used to, and he was soon achingly hard once mroe. His cock rubbed up against the cabinet door, and Felix drew his hips back out, so that all he had was air.

 

“You’re going to cum one time for every dish that wasn’t finished,” Felix said.

 

Oh shit. He would die. He shook his head no. There were several dishes in the sink and there was no way he’d make it.

 

“Yes, though I’ll be nice and count cutlery as one item. So, five times, untouched. That’s your punishment. You ready?” he asked.

 

Did he have a choice? He had agreed to this after all. He took a deep breath and nodded.

 

Pleasure enveloped him, every bit of his body shaking with it. His balls felt like they wanted to explode, and Felix’s finger just gently touched the collar, manipulating his body into a beacon of pure bliss. He arched his back, his hips rutting against the air, his cock bouncing up and down, each movement feeling like too much and not enough at the same time.

 

“I want you to beg me to let you cum,” Felix whispered.

 

Alex wanted to say no, but his mouth could only produce a series of ‘please, yes, make me cum’. Felix held his shaking body as still as he could, and snapped his fingers, and Alex screamed. He cock felt impossibly hard, the pleasure turning to pain as he came.

 

“How many was that?” Felix asked.

 

“One,” Alex said, as he panted. This was definitely going to kill him.

 

He didn’t even get a chance to come down, as his body was already tingling with pleasure again. His cock was filling up, and Alex wanted to cry. He felt Felix press against his used hole, and press inside. He felt it, the crackling of magic, and then Felix was pressing against his prostate, his finger sending small shocks of pleasure to it. It was too much, and Alex could feel tears in his eyes. The sooner he came, the sooner this would be over.

 

“Please, make me cum,” he begged. It was better than the slow torture.

 

“Are you sure?” Felix asked.

 

“Felix! Please, it hurts,” Alex said.

 

Felix kissed his neck, and then snapped his fingers. Alex came, his knees going weak from it, and Felix held him up so he wouldn’t fall. He kissed a trail down his back as he helped him back into position.

 

“How many more?” Felix asked.

 

“Three,” Alex cried, leaning his weight on the counter.

 

“Good boy,” Felix said, petting his hair.

 

Alex could feel the tears now, as his body filled with the unwanted pleasure, though now it was bordering heavily on the side of pain. He shook as he tried to stay upright, and Felix was rubbing his back. Alex didn’t wait this time.

 

“Please make me cum,” he said, his voice breaking as a small, desperate sob escaped him.

 

Felix snapped his fingers, and while Alex’s body shook with orgasm, there was nothing left to come out. His cock hurt so much, and the only thing that was saving him was that at least he wasn’t rubbing himself raw.

 

“Two more,” Alex said, miserably.

 

“That’s right, love. You can do it,” Felix said.

 

Alex shook his head.

 

“I’m gonna break,” he whimpered.

 

“You’ll be fine,” Felix promised. “I’m not going to hurt you like that,” he said. He gave him a moment to breathe, and then Alex was growing hard once more.

 

“Please,” he choked out. He was so close to done, and he wanted to make it. “Please, please, please,” he groaned the words.

 

His body jerked as pain and pleasure overrode his mind, and he came once more.

 

“One more,” he said. He realized that Felix was the only thing keeping him upright, his legs shaking so badly they were collapsing beneath him.

 

“Almost done,” Felix said, soothing him.

 

Alex let out a pained cry as his cock filled for the last time, the over-stimulation so intense. He was begging without even thinking to do it now, the words tumbling from his mouth.

 

“Please, Felix, fuck, need to cum, finish it, please,” he begged.

 

With one final snap of his fingers, Alex came, his body twitching as he bit off a scream. He shook, and sobbed as his body finally found relief from the torment. Felix scooped him up, and brought him to the bed, laying him out, and rubbing his tight muscles. Alex continued to cry and shake, and as he lost himself in the feel of Felix’s hands gently massaging him.

 

“You did so beautifully, darling. I’m so proud of you for getting through that,” Felix said softly. His sweet words of praise were like a balm to Alex’s quivering form. He had never experienced a pain like that, and he was shocked he had survived it. He never wanted to cum again, or at least not for a day or two at any rate.

 

“You’re gorgeous when you cry,” Felix said, kissing Alex’s tear stained cheek. Alex let out a surprised laugh, and smiled.

 

“Fuck, that was brutal,” he said, his voice hoarse from crying so much.

 

“Yes, and you did it,” Felix said.

 

He had, hadn’t he. Alex felt a weird sort of pride in himself. Aside from the last couple of days, his life had been relatively free of trials, and while this was a rather manufactured one, it still felt incredible to have overcome it. He felt like he was almost floating, he was so relaxed now. His arms, and legs felt completely limp, and he’d have to rest for a while, but he found himself thinking that maybe he wouldn’t mind playing that game again soemtime. He reached up to Felix, and tugged at him as best he could, until he seemed to get the message, and lay down half on top of him. There, now he had everything he needed.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> going to mail that letter!

“We need to mail the letter,” Felix said, yawning as he rolled over. They had fallen asleep, and were still curled up in bed.

 

“Fuck the letter. Let’s stay here forever,” Alex mumbled. Despite a nap he was still tired, though his body had more or less stopped hurting, which was nice. He wasn’t ready to move yet.

 

“Very tempting,” Felix said, trailing a finger down Alex’s arm. “However they’d find us eventually, so it’s best to deal with this sooner, rather than later.”

 

Alex groaned. Maybe if he lay very still he could pretend to still be asleep... but ultimately he knew Felix was right, and that meant getting up.

 

“Fine. Do you know where the nearest town is?” Alex asked.

 

“I’ll do a locator spell, while you get cleaned up,” Felix said, placing a quick peck to Alex’s cheek. Alex’s heart did the fluttering thing again, and he blushed. It was just a kiss, hell, less than a kiss really. A peck didn’t even count. There was no reason to be getting all flustered.

 

Felix got out of bed, and disappeared from view, so Alex was left alone once more with his thoughts. Was it bad that he was sort of enjoying being around Felix? He wondered if they had met earlier, if things would have been different, or if they always would have ended up on different sides of an old fight that neither one had started? He sighed, and pushed himself out of the bed. He realized he was sticky still. He needed a bath, but a quick wipe down would have to do.

 

He walked to the bathroom, and flicked the light on. His reflection was covered in marks, and he wondered how he could possibly cover them all. He knew a small spell that he used for covering zits – it would probably do the trick. He touched each spot on his neck and collar, and cast the spell, rubbing them all over, pressing the magic into the marks. Soon enough he was looking decent again, and less like he had been ravaged by a beast. He grabbed a cloth, and washed himself, cleaning himself off from earlier. His clothes had not been spared unfortunately, so he’d need something fresh. Magical laundry spells never seemed to work as well as soap and water, and he found they always left a bit of a mark behind. He sighed, and stuck his head out the bathroom door.

 

There was a pile of fresh clothing on the bed, and Alex smiled. He scurried across the small space, snatched the clothes, and then scurried back to the bathroom. He quickly got dressed, this time in jeans and a long shirt, with sleeves that he rolled up. He tried to fix the mess that was his hair, but quickly gave up. He pulled it back into a ponytail instead, and nodded at his reflection. It wasn’t perfect, but it was acceptable.

 

Felix was waiting for him, and he had changed his clothes too. He was dressed more like himself, in a button down shirt, with the sleeve rolled up, a vest, and trousers. His hair was perfectly coiffed, and Alex found himself tugging at a lose strand of his own hair, feeling self conscious of his appearance. It was silly. He had no reason to feel bad. It wasn’t like he was trying to impress him or anything.

 

“So, where to?” he asked, shaking his thoughts away.

 

“It’s too far to walk, so I’m going to teleport us. There’s no need to worry though, as it’s much closer and easier than changing continents,” Felix said when Alex opened his mouth to protest. “Now, are you ready to go?” he asked.

 

“Yeah, I think so. Will we be safe outside the wards?” Alex asked.

 

“We should be, as long as we don’t take too long,” Felix said.

 

“Then I guess I’m ready,” Alex said.

 

Felix grabbed his hand, and in a blink, they were gone and when he opened his eyes again, they were just outside a small town. Teleportation wasn’t so bad when they weren’t running for their lives, and almost dying. They walked into town, and Alex was so distracted he forgot they were holding hands still. A woman gave them a weird look, and Alex was confused until he noticed what she was looking at – their joined hands. He glared at her, and pointedly held Felix’s hand tighter, brought it up to his lips, and kissed it, all while maintaining uncomfortable eye contact with her. She huffed, and stomped off. He could feel Felix’s shoulders shaking as he started to laugh.

 

“What? She was being rude,” he said.

 

“She was but -” Felix started.

 

An older man had come up to them, and Alex wondered if they were going to get chased out of town. The man smiled, and he started to laugh.

 

“That was quite the move, young man,” he said. His moustache seemed to twitch with amusement, and Alex realized they weren’t in trouble. “You’ll have to excuse Mrs. Slater, she’s a bit of a grump – doesn’t like it when people are happy you see. I hope she hasn’t given you a bad impression. Most folks aren’t bothered around here,” he assured them.

 

“Well that’s awfully kind of you, Mister...?” Felix said, offering him a hand to shake.

 

“Pike,” he said, shaking it. “So, where are you boys from?” he asked.

 

“I’m Felix, and this lovely man here is Alex. Originally, I’m from London, though my father used to take me around here as a child to go camping. I missed it so much, I thought I’d bring my boyfriend here,” Felix said.

 

“Oh, how nice!” Mr. Pike said. “I love to camp. Are you enjoying it Alex?” he asked.

 

“Yes sir,” Alex said. Was it strange that it was even true?

 

“Good to hear,” Mr. Pike said.

 

“Mr. Pike, might I inquire about your post office. I have a letter I’d like to send,” Felix said, changing topics.

 

“Oh sure! It’s just there, at the old corner store. It’s also the pharmacy on weekends,” he said, laughing. He pointed to a red brick building with a slanted, green roof. “You boys have yourselves a nice day,” he added as he walked away.

 

“You too!” they both called out at the same time. They looked at each other, and let out a laugh.

 

“To the post office slash corner store slash pharmacy?” Alex asked.

 

Felix nodded, grabbed Alex’s hand, and they headed off to send the letter. Felix had already put on his fake stamps. They went inside, the door chime ringing to let the worker know there was a customer. A woman came out, and smiled at them.

 

“What can I do for you?” she asked.

 

“We’d like to mail this letter,” Felix said, handing her the envelope. She took it, looked it over, and smiled.

 

“Anything else?” she asked.

 

“What time is mail picked up usually?” he asked.

 

“Well, this should be picked up some time tomorrow afternoon. I’m afraid you missed today’s exchange,” she said.

 

“Alright, thank you,” he replied. They left the post office, and started to head back out of town so they could teleport. They passed a small plant nursery however, and Alex had to stop. There, in the window, was the cutest cactus he had ever seen.

 

“Felix, we need to go inside,” he said, walking over and pushing his face up against the glass.

 

“To look at plants? You can do that when you’re home again,” Felix said.

 

Alex turned to him, his eyes wide, and the smallest hint of a frown forming.

 

“I need to see that cactus,” he said, tugging on Felix’s arm. “Please?” he added, hoping it would help.

 

Felix looked at his watch, and bit his bottom lip. He then looked at Alex’s face, and let out a sigh.

 

“I suppose a few minutes won’t make a difference,” he said, offering Alex a fond smile. Alex beamed at him and rushed inside.

 

There it was, a tiny, flowering cactus, sitting in a small pot, looking too cute for words. Alex walked over to it, and picked it up as gently as he could.

 

“I want to bring you home with me,” he told the plant. “But I don’t have one right now,” he said.

 

“We could always bring it back to the cabin,” Felix suggested.

 

“I also don’t have any money,” Alex said. He put the cactus back down, and started to wander the store. Alex loved plants. His apartment had a bunch, or it did before it was burnt down. He felt a sudden pang of loss, and realized that all of his plants were probably dead.

 

“Are you alright, darling? You’re frowning,” Felix said.

 

“My plants were all destroyed in the fire,” Alex said. “Is it okay if I just...look around for a bit? I miss them,” he said.

 

Felix did something surprising, and pulled Alex into a hug. He pet his head for a moment.

 

“You take however long you need,” he said. Alex hugged him back, nuzzling in against his chest. He pulled away after a momnet, and then went out to wander the store. There were all sorts of plants, and many of them were different from what he was used to, since they were in a colder climate. He let his fingers skim over leaves, and he stopped to smell all of the different flowers. Felix followed behind him, taking in the greenery.

 

“I used to have something similar to this,” Alex said, holding up a fern. “I called her Wendy. She was my favourite. I’d had her since high school,” he said.

 

“You name your plants?” Felix asked. “That is so cute.”

 

“If by cute, you mean I’m a total loser, then yeah, sure,” Alex said.

 

Felix stopped him with a touch. Alex looked at him, and stopped short. Felix had the most intense look on his face, and Alex found himself looking around for trouble.

 

“What’s wrong?” he asked, when he didn’t see anyone.

 

“You really have no idea how adorable you are, do you?” he asked.

 

Alex blushed, grabbed the nearest plant, and shoved at Felix’s chest.

 

“I don’t know what you mean, but here, look at this....plant?” he offered awkwardly.

 

Felix took the plant, and put it back down. He then took Alex’s hands, and placed a kisses across his knuckles.

 

“Too cute,” Felix said, shaking his head.

 

 _Gruhhhhhh_.

 

Alex looked down at his stomach, and laughed. The sound had been very loud, and broke the moment altogether, which was good because he was feeling flustered again.

 

“I think I might be hungry,” he said.

 

“I suppose a quick lunch wouldn’t hurt.” Felix said.

 

There was only a small diner in town, and a pizza place. Alex opted for the diner, since that way they could sit and eat. They walked in, and a chipper waitress seated them, and handed them menus.

 

“We don’t have any money,” Alex realized as they sat there, going over the menu.

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it,” Felix said.

 

“You are _not_ giving them conjured money. It never works right. Half the time it turns back into whatever it was made out of. Can’t you just...I don’t know, summon some or something?” Alex asked.

 

“Wouldn’t that be equally wrong?” Felix asked back.

 

“Yeah... but...this sucks,” Alex said. “Maybe we should just go back, and make our own food,” he suggested.

 

“Nonsense, we’re here now. Let’s just have a nice lunch, and enjoy it. I’ll send proper money when we’re back home,” Felix said.

 

“Promise?” Alex asked.

 

“I pinkie promise even,” Felix said, holding out his pinkie finger. Alex took it and hooked it with his own. They did a quick shake, the promise sealed.

 

“Good,” he said.

 

The waitress came by a few minutes later and took their orders.

 

“I’ll have the club sandwich, and for you dear?” Felix asked.

 

“I’ll have the burger and fries,” he said.

 

Once the waitress left, they sat in silence. Alex hated silence.

 

“So, who is this Cecilia we’re writing to?” he asked.

 

“Oh, she’s an old friend. She had joined The Council at one point, but left because of differing views on things that she found to be important. I don’t blame her, but things were tense between us for a while. She felt like by staying I was somehow supporting those ideals. Truth be told, I actually agreed with her, but change doesn’t happen without fighting, and I explained to her that I could do more good from the inside, if she helped me from the outside. We’ve worked together on and off, but haven’t spoken in a while – busy lives and all that. Still, she’s the closest person I have to a best friend,” Felix explained.

 

Alex could feel Felix’s warm regard for her radiating from him. It made him feel...not great if he was being honest. Jealous even, if he was completely honest – which he wasn’t. He didn’t want to think about that, or examine it too clsoely, so he shoved the feeling down.

 

Their lunch arrived, and Alex was relieved to have something else to focus on. The food was surprisingly good, and he ate it all. He sat there, finishing off his fries, when it hit him – they were basically on a date. Not officially or anything, but still, they were together, at a sit-down meal, after walking around town together....it was a date. He started choking on his fries.

 

“Are you alright?” Felix asked. “Here have some water,” he said, offering him his glass.

 

Alex gulped it down, hoping that his choking would cover his panicking over their totally-not-a-date lunch that was happening.

 

“I’m fine,” he gasped, as he put the glass down. “Food just went down wrong.”

 

Felix reached for his hand, and Alex pulled it back to flag down the waitress. He needed to leave. The waitress rushed over, and handed them the bill. Felix eyed him for a moment, but didn’t say anything. He payed with his fake money, and they left. As they walked towards the outskirts of town, Felix stopped them.

 

“Are you sure you’re okay? I can feel you panicking,” he said.

 

Fuck the stupid bond! Alex _was_ panicking, and he didn’t know why, other than the fact that going out to lunch felt like a relationship thing to do, and they didn’t actually have a relationship. It was just a spell gone wrong, and he needed to remember that. They were going to break it, and then all of this would be gone, and there would be nothing but heartache. No falling for him.

 

“I’m okay, just worried about getting back in time,” Alex lied.

 

Felix could probably tell he was lying, and now Alex could feel his nerves through the bond too. Wonderful. They walked back to where they had arrived, and Felix grabbed his hand, and teleported them back into the wards.

 

Alex knew something was wrong as soon as the teleportation stopped. He didn’t even have time to figure it out though as someone hit Felix from behind, and then grabbed him. He saw Felix go down, and tried to struggle.

 

“You boys sure did cause us a lot of trouble,” Mr. Pike said.

 

“Mr. Pike? What are you doing here? What’s going on?” Alex demanded as another man tied him up.

 

“Mr. Pike?” one of the men said, snickering. “Could you have been more obvious?”

 

Mr. Pike smacked him upside the head, and then came to stand in front of Alex.

 

“It’s just Pike actually,” he said, and the old man’s face morphed into that of a younger, taller man, who was covered in scars. “And my employer has asked that we treat you right,” he said, before punching Alex in the stomach. Alex doubled over. The only thing keeping him up was the man who was holding on to him.

 

“Why -” Alex tried to ask. He was going to puke. It wasn’t the worst pain or anything, just where he had been hit.

 

“Why am I doing this? Money. As for my boss – who knows,” Pike said.

 

There was a coughing sound, and Alex saw Felix blinking awake behind Pike.

 

“Pike, you slimy bastard. I thought I could smell your brand of shit,” Felix said, grunting as a man kicked him in the side.

 

“Hello Felix. Long time no see. I must say, your wards gave us quite the bit of trouble. I lost three men getting through them,” Pike said, crouching so he could look at Felix who was on the ground still.

 

“Only three? I must be losing my touch,” Felix spat. “I had intended for all of you to die. Then again, I suppose someone who could trace us to another continent should be able to do at least that much,” he added with a snarl.

 

“Yes, you were very hard to find. I’m surprised you aren’t dead. How ever did you manage to jump so far, and live?” Pike asked.

 

“Just lucky, I guess,” Felix said.

 

“No, it’s more than that. I could tell as soon as I met you both – you’re tied together somehow. I can see it in your auras. Very clever, using his magic to save you. It made you a lot harder to find too,” he explained. He walked back over to Alex and grabbed him by the chin. Alex let out a pained gasp, as he squeezed down hard with his fingers.

 

“I wonder what makes you so special?” he asked. It was a rhetorical question of course.

 

“Let him go,” Felix growled. “You don’t get to touch him.”

 

“Oh no?” Pike asked, running a hand down Alex’s chest. “Unless you want Alex here to die, I suggest you stand down, and do as I say,” Pike said, magic spiking along his fingers. Alex could feel each spike touching him, and even though it wasn’t a hard touch, it still hurt. He let out a small hiss

 

“Alright Pike,” Felix said. “I surrender. But I hope you didn’t forget that trip to Algeria already. If you think that what I did there was brutal, just wait until I finish with you,” Felix grit out. “You hurt him, and I _will_ kill you.”

 

“I look forward to seeing you try,” Pike said. “I also wouldn’t expect any help – there’s a huge bounty on your head.” He walked back over to Felix, and kicked him in the face. There was a spray of blood as his noes broke, and then Felix was unconscious again. Alex swallowed hard, and stared as blood poured from Felix’s face.

 

“Now, let’s have some fun, hmm?” Pike said to Alex, gripping his face again. Fear rippled through him, and he knew that he and Pike had very different definitions of the word ‘fun’. This was going to be bad.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pike is the only one having fun at this party.

“Come on pretty boy, time to wake up,” one of his captors said. He threw a bucket of water on Alex, even though his eyes were open. Alex had passed out when they had tried to separate him and Felix, and the pain had started up again. The pain from the bond was gone now, but he couldn’t see Felix at all. He couldn’t have been too far though. Alex tried to move, as he was sitting on the floor, but his hands were shackled behind his back.

 

“You think I’m pretty?” he said. The man kicked him hard in the ribs, making Alex wheeze, and double over from the pain. He couldn’t go too far though. It seemed he was chained to the floor too. He didn’t know how long he had been out, but his shoulders were screaming in pain from being twisted like that.

 

“I see we have another smart ass on our hands,” the man said, spitting on Alex before walking away.

 

Once the door was closed, Alex was finally able to take in the room. It was small, dimly lit, with stone walls, and there were no windows, only a single door that was sealed with magic. He could feel it humming from where he was. He closed his eyes, and tried to calm his mind, but as soon as his eyes closed, a terrible buzzing started up. He snapped them open, and the noise went away.

 

“Fuck,” he whispered.

 

If he couldn’t concentrate, then he couldn’t do magic complex enough to get through that ward on the door. If only he hadn’t stopped back in town – they might have had a chance then. They could have fortified the wards, and fought back instead of being ambushed. He felt a wave of guilt, and wondered if Felix was alright. He could tell that Felix was angry - it was burning and clawing at the back of his mind. He wished they were at least in the same room.

 

The door opened, and in walked Pike.

 

“Morning, sunshine,” Pike said, kicking Alex’s foot. Alex wasn’t wearing shoes anymore, and it hurt, sending a shock-wave of pain up his leg. He had been sitting for a while it seemed, and his legs were tingling in the worst way possible.

 

“What are you going to do to us?” Alex asked, skipping the pleasantries. Pike walked around him, like he was made of marble, and Pike was the sculptor. Alex wondered what chunk he would take out of him first before he had a masterpiece.

 

“Well, originally I was gonna just kill you out right, but you see this connection you and Felix have, it’s got me thinking. For example, if I were to make that connection stronger, and leave it wide open – would Felix feel it if I poked you in the eye? I’m just so curious you know. And really, as long as you’re dead at the end, I can do what I want. My employer only asked for your heads after all,” he said, like he was discussing the weather and not Alex’s death, and possible torture.

 

“So,” Pike said, rubbing his hands together. “Let’s see what we can do, hmm?”

 

Pike placed his hands on Alex’s head, and then everything was pain. Alex could feel him, tugging at their bond, and he was doing something terrible to it. He couldn’t hear what Pike was whispering, but he could feel an awful heat growing inside him, burning him from the inside. He was shaking, and the room was going dark, or maybe that was just his vision – he wasn’t sure. He could feel Felix now, as though he were inside Alex’s mind, and he was angry, and then scared as he realized Alex was there too. Felix was threatening the men in his own room – the room was next to Alex’s it seemed – and was starting to hyperventilate...or maybe that was Alex who was having a hard time breathing. Pike removed his hands, and came back around, smiling.

 

“Now, let’s test this out, shall we?” he said. He punched Alex in the face, the rooming buzzing like a hornet’s nest as he closed his eyes in pain. He could feel Felix’s shock, as he felt it too. Pike left the room for a second, and Alex could tell Felix was swearing at him, yelling, and threatening permanent damage to his person. He could feel his anger when Pike laughed.

 

The feedback was too much. He could barely handle his own pain, let alone Felix experiencing it too. It was making things so much worse. His mind was reeling from all the input, and if he didn’t die from whatever Pike was planning, he sure as hell was going to lose his mind. He suddenly felt what seemed to be a sharp kick to his ribs, and it felt so real that he forgot for a moment that he was alone in the room. He blinked several times before he was sure that he was alone, as he tried hard to breathe. It took Alex a while before he was able to catch his breath again.

 

The door opened, and Pike strode back in, grinning like the deranged jack ass that he was. He waltzed over to Alex, humming some stupid song, and crouched down so they were almost eye-to-eye.

 

“I have to say, I’m just absolutely tickled pink that this is working,” he said, giggling to himself. “I want to test the limits on this. So, I was thinking we’d play a little game!”

 

“What sort of game?” Alex asked, even though he was pretty sure he didn’t want to know.

 

“I’m glad you asked, Alex – may I call you Alex?” he asked, though Alex knew he wasn’t expecting an answer. He’d call him whatever he wanted, because he could. “See, this is how the game works,” he continued, as though he hadn’t paused to wait for an answer he didn’t even want. “I do something terrible to you, and then Felix tries to guess what it was – and if he’s right I stop for the day, but if he’s wrong, I keep going. Fun, right?” Pike asked, grinning widely. “But don’t worry, we’ll start slow, and work our way up,” he added, as if that was somehow reassuring.

 

Alex had nothing to say to that. What could he say? ‘Gee, that sure _does_ sound like fun!’? Hardly. He sat in silence, trying to glare, and probably failing. It was hard to glare when your brain was being overloaded. Pike pulled something out of his back pocket, and Alex felt a wave of fear as he realized it was a knife – small and surgical. He tried to back up, but there was nowhere to go. Fear was pumping through him, making his heart race. He began to sweat as Pike moved closer.

 

“I like these knives,” Pike said conversationally. “They slide through skin so easily,” he continued. He circled around, touched Alex’s hand, and made a small cut on the back of it. Alex let out a small cry as the pain hit him. It was so quick that at first it hadn’t registered. Now he could feel blood dripping down his hand. “Blood is pretty too, but I prefer the innards, you know? Like the liver, or kidneys. Intestines are also nice,” he added, pulling back the knife with Alex’s blood on it. “Hearts are the best though,” he said wistfully.

 

Alex was going to be sick, and knew that Felix was distressed too. He took several steadying breaths as Pike left the room. He wasn’t gone long though, and he came back in, humming again, and smiled. He didn’t have the knife now, but that wasn’t terribly reassuring.

 

“He got it wrong, I’m afraid. So, since we did pain last time, this time we’re going to try pleasure,” Pike said. He pulled a small bottle from his pocket, with a blue tinted liquid in it. “This,” he said, bringing it closer to Alex’s face. “Is a neat little potion. It amplifies sensation. The down side for you is that it also makes you unable to move easily. Makes you feel weighed down so to speak,” he said. He grabbed Alex’s nose, and squeezed it so he couldn’t breathe. Pike opened the bottle, and just waited. As soon as Alex opened his mouth to take a breath, he poured the contents into his mouth, covered it so he couldn’t spit it out, and then rubbed his throat to force him to swallow. It didn’t take long for Alex to start feeling it.

 

His body was growing hot, and his clothes felt too tight, and constricting. He was squirming, but each movement was like a rough caress, and it was driving him into arousal faster. Pike grinned at him, and then pulled out his knife again. He sliced up Alex’s clothing, tossing it all aside until Alex was naked. He could feel his limbs getting heavy, and all too soon he was falling over onto the hard, dirt floor.

 

“I can see why he likes you so much – you really are quite pretty,” he said.

 

Alex tried to move, but it felt impossible. Even just twitching his fingers felt like he was lifting weights. He was growing tired from trying. He watched in horror as Pike undid his own pants, and started to stroke himself until he was hard. He then walked behind Alex, and unclipped him from the floor, Alex’s shoulders giving a painful pop as they got that small bit of relief. Pike picked him up under his arms, and dragged him over to the wall. The dirt floor felt like agony against his skin, the friction too much for him. Pike rearranged him so his hands were above his head. Alex wanted to scream. If he could have moved, it would have been the perfect time to escape. His hands had even been free for a second. Now they were above his head, and his shoulders were balls of fiery hell. Pike pried Alex’s jaw open, and Alex realized what was going to happen half a second too late. Pike’s cock slid into Alex’s mouth, and down his lax throat, and Pike groaned as he pet his hair.

 

“God, you’re gorgeous with a cock in your mouth,” he panted as he thrust shallowly at first, his fingers keeping Alex’s mouth wide open. “Maybe next time I’ll get a pretty gag for you to keep it open so I don’t have to work so hard,” he said, laughing.

 

He changed angles, and started to thrust deeper, and all Alex could do was sit there and take it while silently plotting his death. Alex’s eyes were watering, and every time he reflexively swallowed, Pike would moan.

 

“You look like a doll, sitting there, unable to move. You’re nothing more than a glorified hole for me to fuck,” Pike rambled. The words were making Alex feel hot with shame and anger. “I’d love to take you home, and dress you up in something pretty, and then fuck you whenever I feel like. You wouldn’t be allowed to cum of course – being a doll and all – but it would be fun to get you all hard and moaning for it, and just tease you forever,” Pike said.

 

Alex hated it, but he could feel his body reacting, his cock filling up until he was hard. Pike noticed, and started to laugh.

 

“You sick fuck! Are you getting off on this? Hmm? Though I wonder if it’s my cock down your throat, or my words that have you moaning,” he said.

 

Alex wanted to shake his head, to deny the words, but he couldn’t – not only because he couldn’t move but because they were true. He was moaning around Pike’s cock, and the words were making him hard, and aching. The potion had fully kicked in, and now every little thing felt like a slow tease. His sweat was like a series of gentle trails sliding down his skin, driving him wild with need. If he could have fucked the air, he would have.

 

Pike started to thrust faster, holding Alex’s head perfectly still as he used his mouth. Tears started to stream down Alex’s face, but Pike didn’t seem bothered. His breathing was growing erratic, and Alex hoped that he would cum soon so they could stop.

 

“Fuck, so close,” Pike panted. Alex had to swallow again, and as his throat closed around Pike’s cock, the man came down his throat. He continued fucking his mouth through the whole thing until he finally stilled, and pulled out. Alex could taste him on his tongue, and his stomach turned.

 

Pike let out a low whistle.

 

“Damn, but you do have a good mouth on you,” he said, patting Alex on the head. There was a knock at the door, and a man stuck his head in.

 

“He figured you out that time,” the man said with a laugh. Alex hated him.

 

Pike pouted, but otherwise didn’t seem bothered. He clapped Alex on the head again, tucked his softening cock back into his pants, and then dragged Alex back to the post in the floor where he chained him again. At least this time his arms got to be in front, easing a bit of the pain in his shoulders.

 

“See you tomorrow, Alex,” he sang, and then closed the door, the wards humming back into place.

 

Alex lay there in the dim light of the room, unable to move still, his own aching cock ignored. He was still hard, and the movement of the air was enough to drive him insane. He couldn’t even close his eyes without the buzzing, but he did it anyway, hoping to drown it out by thinking of Felix. He could feel Felix still, and he was also having a hard time moving, though not like Alex was. He was also aroused, and angry, and Alex would have given anything to be able to hold him then.

 

He tried to push that thought – that feeling – at him, but Felix was so angry it was making it hard to get through. He was starting to feel angry himself, and without any distraction it was difficult to tell which feelings belonged to which person. Alex sighed, and opened his eyes, tired of the buzzing. His cock was aching, and the best he could do to relieve the painful arousal was to squeeze his legs together. That small movement took enormous energy, and after a few moments of pleasure he had to stop. Felix must have gotten a similar idea though because Alex could feel the sensation still, of legs moving against his cock, bringing him close to completion. It didn’t take long, and the knowledge that Felix was doing this to him finally pushed him over the edge, and he came across his stomach, and the dirt floor. It wasn’t a very satisfying orgasm, but at least now his cock wasn’t a bother.

 

Alex was exhausted, and Felix was too, but there was no sleep with the buzzing. He’d have to wait until exhaustion claimed him. He stared at the door, and tried to pick away at the wards, but it was impossible. He was too tired, and thirsty, and he couldn’t close his eyes.

 

“Hey, can I get some water?” he asked, the words slurring together thanks to the potion.

 

He saw a set of eyes peer at him through the door, and then a minute later it opened, and a big, burly man walked in, and held a cup up to his barely responsive mouth. The man sighed, grabbed his hair, and tilted his head back, before pouring the water into his mouth, and down his throat. Once the glass was empty, the man left. Alex was still parched, but he supposed it was better than nothing.

 

Alex had no idea what time it was, or how long he’d been there, but damn if he wasn’t bored out of his mind. He tried casting a few simple spells once he could move again, but nothing was working for him. They all fizzled before he could fully form them.

 

He heard footsteps, and Pike’s annoying humming, and let go of the spell he had been trying. Pike threw open the door, and this time he had a bigger knife.

 

“Hello beautiful, did you miss me?” he asked.

 

“I would think that’d be a rather obvious ‘no’,” Alex snapped.

 

Pike gave him a mock pout.

 

“You wound me. But worry not, I have another round of the game for you,” Pike said.

 

He forced another bottle of the potion down Alex’s throat, and within moments he was like a weighted shell, his mind trapped inside a body that couldn’t really move. Pike uncuffed his hands, and pulled one out, and away from Alex’s body.

 

“Now, this will hurt, quite a bit I imagine, so feel free to scream,” he said.

 

With that as his only warning, Pike placed the knife above one of Alex’s fingers, and cut into it, slowly, and then with more force. Alex did scream, as Pike cut through the bone, and down and out the other side. The pain was like fire, and lanced all the way up his arm. Pike picked up the severed finger, and placed it into his pocket, patting it lightly. Blood was gushing from Alex’s hand, and he cried, and screamed, and tried to move, to curl in on himself, but it was impossible. The potion, of course, had made things worse, by amplifying the sensations. He felt like one giant nerve, and he was an opened wound right above it.

 

Pike poked the little bit of finger that was left, making agony twist through Alex’s arm, forcing another scream out of him. Pike’s finger glowed, and Alex’s skin sizzled for a moment, before the wound stopped bleeding. It smelled like burnt flesh, and Alex could see that the remainder of his finger was burnt looking. It had been cauterized, but also damaged beyond repair.

 

“You scream pretty too. I’ll keep that in mind for the future,” Pike said.

 

A knock at the door sounded, and Pike cuffed Alex’s mutilated hand back down. He then got up, whistling, and left. Alex lay there, whimpering and crying, wishing he could die, while knowing that there was probably much worse to come.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things go from bad to worse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just wanted to say thanks for the kudos and comments! they keep me motivated!! <3
> 
> Also added more tags, so read those

Alex could hear buzzing, and he realized for one second that he had passed out from exhaustion, and pain. He was awake now though, the buzzing too much to deal with. He looked at his hand, at the spot where his finger should be. The blackened nub hurt like hell still, but at least it didn’t look infected or anything – yet. The door opened, and Alex wanted to scream or cry, he wasn’t sure which anymore. Pike was humming again, and Alex looked up at him from where he was scrunched up on the ground. He didn’t have any knives in hand. It was a small mercy, but it made him worry about what today’s torture would be instead.

 

“Hello Alex. How’s the hand?” Pike asked. He walked over, the door slamming shut behind him. He held out a little tube of something, and Alex tried to shrink back from him, even though there was nowhere he could go. Pike took his hand, and poked the nub, making Alex cry out, pain radiating from that one spot.

 

“I brought some ointment. I don’t need you dying of an infection after all. That would ruin the fun!” Pike said. He uncapped the tube, and squirted some foul smelling gel onto Alex’s injury. It stung, and Alex tried to pull his hand away, but Pike had a vice-like grip. His hand wasn’t going anywhere. When Pike was done, he put the tube into his shirt pocket, and then gave Alex his hand back.

 

“Now,” Pike said. “I thought today we might try something different! See, Felix keeps figuring it out, and so I wondered what would happen if I did something to both of you at the same time?” he said.

 

Alex didn’t say anything, even though Pike had paused. He was probably waiting for another ‘what are you going to do?’ but Alex wasn’t interested in giving him what he wanted. Pike sighed after it became clear Alex wasn’t playing along today. He had another one of the blue potions. Once more he forced it down Alex’s throat. He hated that potion. It made him hyper aware of his body, and everything that was happening. Tuning it all out was pretty much impossible once he had ingested it. Already, he could feel his body growing heavy – it seemed to take less time each day.

 

He watched Pike as he moved around Alex, until he was in a spot where Alex couldn’t see him anymore. He could feel him though. Rough, warm fingers traced over his spine, and he was suddenly aware that Felix was being touched too, because he could feel a lighter touch on his cheek. Something cold, and wet hit his ass, and he realized after a moment what was going to happen – Pike was going to fuck him. His stomach turned, even as the small touches pushed him towards unwanted arousal. He was turned onto his stomach, his face turned to the side, and all he could do now was survive.

 

“You sure do have a nice ass,” Pike said, as he gave it a squeeze. He spread Alex’s cheeks, and rubbed his hole, massaging it until Alex was whimpering, and hard, his cock trapped beneath him. Pike lifted Alex’s hips up, and gave his cock a squeeze.

 

“There you go. Look at you. Already a mess, and I’ve barely even started,” Pike teased.

 

Alex wished he could bury his face properly, or at least close his eyes. He hated being aware during these so called games. One of Pike’s thick fingers was pressing against his hole, and it already felt like too much. It almost felt like two people were touching him. That’s when he realized – Felix was being touched too and Alex could feel it. Pike pushed his finger in, and Alex let out a small cry as he was breached. The phantom sensations continued, and Alex whimpered, the feeling of two fingers moving inside him, in odd and different directions, overwhelming him. He could feel that while Pike’s finger was warm, whoever was touching Felix had cold hands, and it was making him twitch inside.

 

Pike added a second finger, and stretched Alex’s hole. It burned, and Alex hissed as he pulled out too soon. He wasn’t ready, but Pike was. Alex could feel the head of his cock pressing against him, and without warning, he pushed it in. His muscles were relaxed, thanks to the potion, but it still felt like he was being split in two. It was too much, too soon. Alex let out a pained cry, but otherwise was unable to do much to stop the intrusion. Pike didn’t give him long to adjust before he thrust in hard.

 

“Fuck, you’re so tight,” Pike panted.

 

Alex felt tears and he began to sob. He felt like he was shaking, but he wasn’t sure anymore. He could feel Felix, could feel his arousal, and it was keeping Alex hard despite the pain. Pike was fucking him, and it hurt, but that wasn’t the only thing he could feel. Whoever was fucking Felix was being gentle, and driving him into pleasure, and Alex could feel that too – the nudges against his prostate and the way it was making Felix ache with need. Alex was half in agony, and half in bliss, and he could barely tell who was who anymore. The pain made the pleasure so much sweeter somehow, and soon he was moaning, trying to angle his ass for more.

 

“You like that, cutie? Want more of my cock?” Pike asked. “Such a little whore, moaning for it. Don’t think I can’t tell that you’re moving your ass, begging for more,” he said as he gave a vicious thrust. Alex tried to gurgle out ‘fuck you’ but his mouth wouldn’t cooperate yet.

 

“Such a delectable slut. I might just keep you after all. It’s not every day you find the perfect masochist,” he said, his words punctuated by Alex’s breathy moans as he fucked him.

 

“I’d tie you up, and gag you, and fill that pretty ass of yours with my cum. Would you like that? Being full like that? All hard, and aching all day, and full of my cum?” Pike whispered, the filthy words falling from his lips. Alex could feel his body reacting – a mixture of fear and arousal. Pike suddenly changed angles, and Alex keened as he hit his prostate. It was an overload, between Pike’s assault, and the echo of Felix’s arousal. Alex felt like he might pass out.

 

Pike must have liked the noise Alex made, because he kept hitting that spot over, and over, making Alex wail with pleasure, and the feeling of ‘too much’. He was crying again, only this time because he wanted to cum so badly he thought he might explode. Pike wasn’t about to let him do that though. As Alex’s entire body tensed, about to cum, Pike gripped Alex’s cock, and squeezed it hard at the base, stopping him. He let out a pained cry.

 

“Not yet,” Pike said.

 

Alex didn’t know what he was waiting for, and he didn’t really care. All wanted was to cum. He tried to buck his hips, which earned him a sharp slap to his ass, that made him hiss and cry. He was so frustrated, and desperate.

 

“Please,” he begged, the word coming out in a slur of letters. Pike must have gotten the message though, because he laughed.

 

“Begging already?” he asked. “How cute! ‘Fraid not though. I want to watch you when you cum, but only after I’ve filled you up,” he said. “Gonna plug up that pretty ass of yours,” he said, slapping him again.

 

Alex groaned. He didn’t want to wait. He wanted to cum now, and for Pike to leave.

 

“I took a potion myself this morning,” Pike said between grunting. “It’s gonna make me cum for a long time, lots, and lots of it. I hope you’re ready,” he said.

 

Alex felt himself quake at the idea, of being filled with Pike’s cum until he felt like he would burst. He hated it. It didn’t matter though – he knew it would happen anyway. Felix was close to cumming in the other room, and Alex whined his desperation.

 

“Soon, cutie. Real soon,” Pike crooned.

 

He wasn’t lying either.

 

“Fuck, cumming!” Pike cried out a moment or two later, as he thrust in deep, and hard. Alex couldn’t feel anything at first, and wondered if maybe Pike had been wrong about the potion. When a minute had passed, and he still hadn’t moved, Alex knew for sure that the potion had worked. He could feel it now, a pressure in his belly, as he was filled. Pike held him still, thrusting lightly as he continued to pump into him. Alex could feel his body protesting the abuse, but couldn’t pull away yet. He felt like his stomach was sticking out, and he groaned. He felt so full.

 

Finally, after what felt like forever, Pike pulled out. Alex felt a hot wetness pouring down his leg for a moment, before something cold touched his entrance, and squeezed inside. He was all plugged up now, and he felt heavy, and sore. Pike rolled him onto his back, and dragged him to the wall, where he chained him up, but this time with enough chain to move his arms about.

 

Alex looked down, and was horrified to see that his belly was indeed sticking out ever so slightly. The plug was keeping everything in, and without meaning to, he rubbed a hand over his stomach in a sort of morbid sense of fascination. The potion was wearing off now, but now fast enough.

 

“I want you to show me how you jerk off,” Pike said, as he came to stand in front of Alex. He kicked Alex’s feet apart, and suddenly Alex was very aware of just how hard he was again. His cock was aching, and dripping with need where it hung between his legs. He looked away from Pike, and wrapped his hand around himself. Maybe if he could last long enough the potion would be out of his system and he could mvoe...except Felix was being edged in the other room – he could feel his desperation to cum. Alex tried to picture him without closing his eyes. He imagined they were together, that Felix was the one watching him as he stroked himself. His hand slipped for a moment, and his cock hit his stomach, reminding him of how full he was. He let out a pathetic moan, and spread his legs just a tiny bit more.

 

“Showing off that gorgeous cock of yours?” Pike asked. He walked forward, and pressed his booted foot against Alex’s stomach. Alex cried out, the pressure uncomfortable, and too much. “Or maybe you like how full you are,” he teased.

 

Alex bit his lip, and leaned his head back. He didn’t want to do this for Pike, but the sooner he came the sooner they’d be done for the day. Alex jerked himself with his one hand, and with the other, he played with his nipples. He let out a pleased gasp when he tugged at his one nipple, and the sensation went straight to his cock. He couldn’t stop moaning, and the pressure of Pike’s foot on his stomach was driving him to distraction. He was so full, and hard, and he was playing with himself while some asshole watched, and all he could feel was Felix as he finally came, and Alex arched his back – he was so close. He ran his hand over his chest, and up to the collar that was still around his throat. He remembered Felix making him cum, how he had twitched, and cried for him. He called out to Felix and felt, for just a moment, his mind brushing his, and that was all it took.

 

Alex dug his toes into the ground, lifting his hips, and screamed as he came. He was crying again. All he wanted was Felix, and a nice warm bed for them to share. Pike looked pleased as he stared at him, still rubbing Alex’s full stomach with his boot. Alex whined at him, but was too tired to do much else. That had taken all of his energy.

 

“Lovely,” he said. He reached around Alex, and pulled out the plug. Alex groaned as wetness slid down his legs. He felt disgusting.

 

 

“I’ll be back in a second, beautiful,” Pike sang. Gods he hated that man. He watched him leave, and hoped that Felix got it right once more. How specific did he need to be? Pike opened the door, and he was grinning, a saw in hand. Felix had gotten it wrong.

 

“He was real close, but he couldn’t tell me exactly what I did, so I’m afraid you boys lost this round,” Pike said, cackling with delight. “Now, let’s see – left or right? I think left. After all you already lost one finger, so it’s basically useless anyway,” Pike said. He did a quick spell, and Alex’s left arm stuck to the wall, not moving.

 

His lethargy from cumming was quickly replaced by adrenaline fuelled terror. Pike brought the saw up to Alex’s left arm, right at the elbow.

 

“Now, I expect some pretty screams out of you again, so no holding back, okay?” Pike said.

 

Alex did scream.

 

“No! Stop!” he begged, and cried, and sobbed until he passed out. The pain was excruciating, beyond his comprehension. It became a sort of white hot burning that knocked him out, and dragged him into darkness.

 

 

Alex came to, and the world was in chaos. There was blood everywhere, and he could smell it, but not all of it was his. There were dead bodies lying around him, his severed arm lying on the ground. He could see it despite the haziness of his mind. It shouldn’t be there. He looked at where it should be, but all there was, was a blackened stump where his elbow should have connected the bottom half of his arm, to the top. He blinked at it.

 

A loud roaring pulled his attention away. Felix was there, and he was on fire – quite literally – but it wasn’t burning him. He was burning Pike, the man’s skin was charring as he screamed. Alex knew he should feel something but all he cared about was Felix. He was so angry, it was boiling over, spilling into Alex’s mind. If he could just get to him, calm him somehow. Pike gave one last cry before he stopped moving altogether. Alex watched Felix tear Pike’s blackened head clean off his body. Felix dropped him, and stood there panting.

 

“Felix?” Alex called, his voice hoarse and almost gone from screaming.

 

Felix must have heard him though. He turned his glowing eyes towards Alex, and that was all it took. Felix let out a terrible, pain filled wail of despair, the flames going out on his body as he rushed over to Alex. He looked different somehow, more pointy or something, but Alex didn’t care. The chains, and magic binding him were all released, and he collapsed into Felix’s waiting arms.

 

He wanted to say so many things, like ‘don’t leave me’, and ‘thank the gods you’re alright’, and ‘I’m okay, no really’, but all he could do was cry. He clung to Felix with his still whole arm, tucking his injured one into his body. It hurt, so much, but he didn’t care. He needed to know that Felix was alive.

 

“I’m sorry,” Felix cried, the words coming over and over as he held onto Alex like he was the only thing that mattered.

 

“We’re alive,” Alex said, trying to sooth him. Felix was shaking, and he was covered in blood. “I want to leave,” he added.

 

That seemed to do the trick. Like a switch being flicked, Felix calmed for a moment, held Alex even closer, and teleported them out.

 

Alex opened his eyes, and had no idea where they were. Felix was breathing hard though, so it must have been pretty far away. It didn’t matter, so long as they were safe, at least for a minute or two. Felix tried to pick him up, and carry him, but his arms and legs were shaking too much.

 

“It’s okay, I can walk,” Alex said, trying to get down. Felix just held him tighter, and knelt there on the ground, both of them naked, and bloody.

 

“Your arm,” Felix said, and Alex could feel the waves of guilt pouring off of him. There would be none of that.

 

“You saved us!” Alex shouted, grabbing Felix’s face in his hand. He forced him to meet his eyes, waiting and not letting go until he did. “They weren’t going to let us live Felix – Pike said so. I don’t care about my fucking arm right now. I care that we’re alive, and you’re safe, and I’m alive, and fuck I thought I was going to die Felix. I thought you were – fuck!” he screamed. They held each other, clinging as best they could while they cried. A clap of thunder sounded in the distance, and a cold rain started to fall. Water spattered against them, washing away the blood, and the tears, and everything else. It wouldn’t heal them, but it was a start.

 

Alex couldn’t hear the footsteps approaching over the pouring rain, but he felt Felix stiffen, and let out an angry growl. Alex turned to see, and there was a woman, with one hand up in surrender, and the other holding an umbrella up. She had a gentle smile on her face and looked to be in her fifties. Felix relaxed as she got closer,

 

“You certainly stepped in it this time, didn’t you Aberdeen?” she said, with an accent that reminded Alex of Felix. Somehow it made him feel safer.

 

“Cecelia,” Felix said, a broken laugh escaping him as relief flooded in. “Sorry to drop by, when you probably haven’t even gotten my letter yet, but may we hide here for a few days? We nearly died you see, and I don’t think I can take another jump right now,” Felix said, his voice shaking almost as much as his body was.

 

“Good Lord Felix. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in such a terrible state. What on earth happened?” she asked.

 

“Pike happened,” he said.

 

Her expression turned stormier than the sky, and Alex wondered at their history.

 

“That bastard!” she swore. “Is he dead now?” she asked.

 

“Well, unless he can reattach his own fucking head, I dare say he is,” Felix told her.

 

She nodded, her tight lipped frown the only indication of her feelings.

 

“Right. You can tell me the rest once you’re inside, and dried off. Come along, dears,” she said. She waved her hand, and they both floated, bobbing along behind her. They walked up a winding path, and into a small cottage in the country. There was a field on one side, and forest on the other. She made a hole in her wards, and they floated into her house.

 

“Now,” she said, as she shook off her umbrella. “Tell me everything.”

 

 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing in life is easy, but maybe it's not so bad when you're together?

Alex didn’t know where to start, and ended up staring helplessly at Felix, who looked like he was trying to glare a hole into the floor. Alex wanted to reach out, and touch, but Felix looked about five seconds away from either crying, screaming, or both, and he wasn’t sure he could handle that. Cecelia must have sensed that they needed more time before talking about it.

 

“I know, how’s about you lads head on up the stairs, and freshen up. I have some nice, fluffy towels in the closet, and I’ll make sure there’s clothes waiting for you when you get out, hmm?” she said. Felix finally blinked, and nodded.

 

“Thanks, love,” Felix said. He turned to Alex, and offered him a hand to hold, which Alex accepted, and then they headed upstairs.

 

Cecelia’s house was cute, and cozy, and reminded Alex a bit of their cabin in the woods. He didn’t know why, but he kind of missed it. The bathroom was at the top of the stairs and to the right, and Felix flicked on the light. They both winced at the intense brightness as they shuffled into the small bathroom. Alex studiously avoided his reflection, and went about running the bath.

 

“Would you mind getting us some towels?” he asked. Felix nodded once and headed into the hallway. He returned a moment later with two big, soft, pink, fluffy towels.

 

“Thanks,” Alex said, reaching up to take it with both arms, only to remember that he was missing half of one, and that moving hurt like hell. He let out a hiss of pain as the movement pulled the skin on his wound.

 

“Are you alright?” Felix asked, dropping the towel altogether, and rushing towards Alex. The movement startled him, and Alex pulled back without meaning to. Felix stopped himself short, his cheeks turning red, and his brow furrowing as he frowned. “Sorry,” he said, bending down, and picking up the towel.

 

“It’s fine. I’m just a bit jumpy still,” Alex explained with a nervous laugh. Gods, why was he laughing now? This wasn’t the time to laugh, was it? Felix stood still, his left hand twitching in front of his legs while the right twisted in the towel. Alex let out a long sigh, and then offered him a smile.

 

“Do you want to have a bath with me?” Alex asked, aiming for flirty, but falling painfully short. He didn’t really want to be touched that way right then, but he also wanted things to be normal, and awkward, inappropriate flirting was their normal.

 

“I can wait -” Felix started to say, backing up.

 

“It’s okay if you don’t want to -” Alex said.

 

“It’s not that I don’t, I just -” Felix stammered.

 

“Then get in the bath, jerk,” Alex said, smiling. He paused, unsure what to say, only that he felt like he would burst from everything he was feeling. The bond was still open, but they were so entwined right now he wasn’t sure who was feeling what anymore. “I want you near me...I need to feel that we’re alive,” he admitted.

 

Felix walked the two steps over to Alex, and offered him a hand to hold. Alex took it, and let the cold of Felix’s fingers sink into the warmth of his own hand. The tub was getting full, but he didn’t want to let go, but he needed his hand in order to turn it off. He let out a huff of frustration.

 

“Can you turn off the water for me?” Alex asked.

 

Felix reached over with his other hand, and turned off the knobs, the water stopping, and the room falling silent. They were both still naked, so Felix just lifted one leg into the tub, and then the other, hissing as the hot water hit his chilled body.

 

“Oh, that’s hot,” Felix said, biting his lip as he sank into the tub. Alex had to let go then so Felix could lower himself slowly, rather than plopping down into the water. Felix held out his arms – an offering for Alex to join. Alex grabbed onto one of his hands, and used it to balance as he climbed in. He knelt down, and then turned to sit so he was nestled against Felix’s front.

 

“Is this okay?” Alex asked. He could feel that they were both unsure, and nervous, and rattled. He wanted to ask, and wanted to hear the answer.

 

“It’s perfect, so long as you’re okay and comfortable,” Felix said.

 

“Yeah, it is perfect,” Alex agreed as he lay back against him. He was careful to leave his injured arm out of the water, but the rest of him was pretty much covered in the deep tub. He curled up, and turned slightly so he could lay his head against Felix’s chest, and listen to his heart beat. It was fast, but steady, and the sound was soothing to Alex’s anxious mind.

 

“I don’t want to get up. Can we stay here, in this bathroom, forever?” Alex asked.

 

Felix laughed, and Alex could feel the puff of air ruffling his hair.

 

“We’d get hungry eventually,” Felix reasoned.

 

Alex let out a small whine.

 

“Isn’t that what magic is for?” he asked.

 

“Magic can’t fix everything,” Felix said. Alex could feel the immediate change in mood, and looked up to see Felix staring at Alex’s injured arm. Yeah, magic wouldn’t be fixing that.

 

Silence stretched before them, and Alex was not having it.

 

“Hey, you know what would be cool?” Alex said, a weird idea forming in his mind.

 

“What?” Felix asked, turning to look at Alex’s face once more.

 

“Instead of like a fake arm – I get like a prosthesis that is basically the equivalent of a magic wand! Think of how damn cool that would be! Oh! Or I could get something really stylish, like a metal arm, but the hand comes off, and inside is like a small spell book! Do you think they can do that?” he asked. He didn’t really want to think about it yet, but he couldn’t stand the feeling that his injury was creating this huge gap between them.

 

Felix made a contemplative humming sound, and then shrugged.

 

“I don’t see why not. You know though, metal can be a deterrent to magic sometimes. What about something living, that could be grafted to your body. You love plants! It would be...” Felix paused. “It would be beautiful,” he said after a moment.

 

Alex turned in the tub, to look at him, and sure enough, Felix’s eyes were wet with tears.

 

“Gods, this all my fault,” he whispered. “If only I had guessed better, or figured out how to – fuck!” he hissed. “How can you look at me? They only found us because I used such strong wards,” he confessed.

 

Alex blinked at that.

 

“Yeah, but if I hadn’t stopped to look at plants, we might have been able to get back before they were able to ambush us,” Alex said.

 

“But -” Felix started again. Alex placed a finger against his lips, and shushed him.

 

“Felix, we can go in circles forever or we can just agree that it’s the fault of whoever sent Pike after us, and that Pike being dead is great, and the world is now a brighter, happier place because of it,” Alex said. He wiped away one of Felix’s tears that had slid down his cheek.

 

“We can’t fall apart,” Alex said. “Not yet,” Alex said. “Not when we’re finally together again, and I have you, and you have me. Cry if you need to, just stay with me,” he said.

 

“How are you so calm?” Felix asked. “I’m so angry, and scared, and I don’t know how to handle it, and I can feel that you’re upset, and yet, you’re being calm. What is your secret, hmm?” he asked, letting out a small laugh.

 

“My secret is that I’m exhausted, and I refuse to be destroyed by this, and I’m just so fucking happy not to be in that hell hole, that I feel like smiling more than anything else,” Alex said. “I imagine tomorrow will be less kind, but that is future me’s problem,” he said.

 

Felix nodded as he mulled that over.

 

“Want me to wash you?” Felix asked finally. “Your back is filthy. You can do me after,” he said.

 

Alex snickered.

 

“Do you after,” he repeated, laughing.

 

“Hush, you,” Felix said. He was smiling though, and that was all Alex wanted. Felix grabbed some soap, and gestured for Alex to lean forward.

 

“Let me know if you need me to stop,” Felix said.

 

“Will do,” Alex said as he bent over to give him more room.

 

Felix rubbed his soapy hands down Alex’s back, and started to wash him, removing the grime and blood. It felt amazing, like a massage, and Alex let out a pleased sigh. He drew his knees up, and rested his good arm on it, and then used it as a cushion for his head. As Felix worked his way down his back, Alex could feel the tension in his own body mounting, a small trill of panic sounding in his mind.

 

“You alright?” Felix asked, pausing.

 

Alex didn’t know the answer to that anymore. He wanted to be alright, but he couldn’t undo what had been done to him either. Felix’s fingers were getting too close to places he didn’t want touched. He took a deep, shuddering breath, and let it out again.

 

“I’m okay, just bad memories. Do you think you could wash my chest instead?” Alex asked.

 

“Of course,” Felix said. He helped Alex turn around, and started to wash his chest, and collar area. He touched the collar, letting soap slide in behind it. Alex shivered. There was no intent behind the touch, but it brought up so many memories. He stilled Felix hands again.

 

“Sorry,” Alex said, closing his eyes so he wouldn’t have to see Felix’s concerned look. “Fuck, this shouldn’t be this hard,” he grumbled.

 

“Darling,” Felix said softly. “We’ve been through hell, you even more so than myself. I would be more concerned if you weren’t upset,” he said.

 

Alex let out a broken laugh, that turned into a sob. Why? Why did it have to be like this? All of this because of one stupid spell? It wasn’t fair! His body shook as emotion overtook him. He was scared, and he was angry, and there wasn’t an ounce of him that was calm.

 

“Sorry,” he cried.

 

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Felix assured him. “Is it alright if I hold you?” he asked.

 

Alex nodded. Tears were streaming down his face, and he was shaking. Felix’s strong arms encircled him, drawing him in against Felix’s chest. He clung to the parts of him he could reach, and cried.

 

“I feel stupid. I said we had to hold it together, like five seconds ago,” Alex said as misery overwhelmed him.

 

“Shh,” Felix whispered. “It’s alright love. No one expects you to have it together right now,” he told him.

 

Alex let out a pained wail, as he felt his fear and anger from the past few days finally catch up. He didn’t even want to put words to what had happened, didn’t want to think about it, but it happened anyway. He had been raped, and tortured, and mutilated by a sick fuck, after being chased, and almost murdered in his own apartment, which was now gone. He had lost so much, and the weight of it was too much to bear. His body shuddered, and he let out a scream.

 

The light bulb in the bathroom exploded, as their magic exploded within him, all of his walls crumbling. The mirror cracked, and the house shook. Felix held him through it whispering ‘I’ve got you’ over and over. Alex felt like he was being torn to shreds as he let out his anguish, and he didn’t know what would be left after. He was scared, and closed his eyes, and suddenly he was thrust into his mind – the maelstrom ripping through his defences.

 

He couldn’t see the thread of their entwined magic, but he could feel Felix’s distress, and it was too much. He sunk into the darkness and the pain, and the hurt. He wanted to disappear. The dark was consuming him, as despair flooded his mind.

 

A bright light shone in the dark, and Alex looked, and saw their connected magic, shining like a beacon, and he reached out for it. He couldn’t quite touch it though, and he strained against the pain, his fingers just short of it. He was exhausting himself, and was about to pull his hand back, when he felt it – Felix’s soul touching his. It was like fire and ice, and it burned, filling him with light, and crystals, and it was sharp, and soft, and Alex fell into him.

 

The light chased away the darkness, to the edges of his mind. It spread within him, until it had filled him, and he gasped as a soft, comforting feeling of love washed over him. He stopped screaming, and opened his eyes again. He was safe, in the tub, with Felix. He lay in Felix’s arms, and cried. He could feel the warmth of their souls touching, of Felix’s emotions filling him, and he held on to that for dear life.

 

They didn’t say anything for several minutes, just holding each other, and Alex could feel Felix’s resolve to remain calm for him. Alex cried, and shook, unable to fully stop himself.

 

“Breathe with me,” Felix said.

 

Alex could feel the rise and fall of each breath Felix took, and tried to match it as best he could.

 

_Breathe in._

 

_Breathe out._

 

He chanted it like it was a spell, and maybe it was one because soon he was calmer, and able to breathe normally, and he felt back in control of himself. Felix was running his fingers through Alex’s hair, gently undoing the knots that had formed. He was singing softly, Alex realized.

 

“What song is that?” he asked.

 

“It’s an old lullaby my dad used to sing when I was just a wee thing,” he said. “It always used to calm me down when I thought there were monsters,” he said. “Thought maybe it might help.”

 

“It’s nice, keep singing,” Alex said.

 

Felix had a lovely voice, that was soft and smooth, and Alex found himself relaxing as he sang. He smiled as he realized that Felix’s accent was thicker when he sang, like he was a child again, and not the posh grown up. It was adorable. He let it lull him, until he completely calm again – or as calm as he was capable of after everything.

 

“Feel a bit better, love?” Felix asked when the song came to an end.

 

“Thanks to you,” Alex said. “Things are going to be a lot different from now on, aren’t they?” he asked.

 

“Possibly, but different doesn’t necessarily mean all bad,” Felix said. “We’ll get through this – together,” he added.

 

“Yeah, we will,” Alex said. He let out a small laugh. “Can you believe that less than a week ago we were ‘enemies’. Seems so stupid now, doesn’t it?” he asked.

 

“Gods, yeah. It’s hard to believe it’s been such a short time. I feel like we’ve been a part of each other for so much longer,” Felix agreed.

 

“Maybe in some ways we have,” Alex mused. “Though I must admit, my first impressions of you were a little off,” he said.

 

“Oh?” Felix asked. He picked up the soap, and Alex nodded at him to continue. “And what were your first impressions exactly?”

 

Alex let Felix wash his arms next, and looked away when he got close to the injury. Instead he concentrated on how it was, all those years ago when they first met. Felix had been...handsome, but also annoyingly good at diverting them during fights. He always made it look so damn easy.

 

“You seemed arrogant, and conceited, and like you thought we were a joke,” Alex said. “I don’t think that anymore, of course,” he hastened to add.

 

“I do hope you think better of me now, though I must admit that was a rather fair assessment. I was very much all of those things back then. I thought your lot was beneath me...oh how foolish I was. I must say, I rather regret that I was so rudeabout the whole thing. I regret a lot of things actually – like all the years I gave to The Council just for them to toss me on my ass,” he said, grumbling. “I know it seems silly to still be angry about that, but if they hadn’t revoked my rights, we would have had protection, and could have explored this bond safely,” he said.

 

“So, are we blaming them then?” Alex asked. “I mean, I am all for that, but is that what you want?”

 

“Maybe? No...I don’t know...I just want to be angry I think. I want someone to blame, and Pike is dead,” Felix said. He touched his fingers to Alex’s injury, and a coolness spread through the cut, and up into the rest of his arm. Alex let out a sigh, as the pain eased.

 

“I don’t know what you just did, but it was amazing,” Alex said.

 

“It’s a healing spell. I can’t fix what’s been done, but I can help speed up the healing, and ease some of the pain,” Felix said. “Unfortunately, I don’t know that many, but Cecelia was always pretty good with them,” he admitted.

 

“You know, I liked the idea of a living arm,” Alex said, changing the topic slightly. He could almost picture it, something wooden, with leaves and flowers. It spoke to him, and his love of plants. “It really would be beautiful.”  


Felix offered him a smile, and pulled him in closer.

 

“Once we get this shit sorted, and stop whoever it is that’s after us, I will get you the pretties arm in the whole wide world,” Felix said.

 

He placed a small kiss on Alex’s shoulder, making Alex shiver, and his heart flutter in his chest. It was good to know at least that hadn’t changed.

 

“Promise?” Alex asked.

 

“Promise,” Felix agreed. He hooked his pinkie finger with Alex’s and made one more promise for them to keep. Alex stared at their joined hands for a moment, and smiled.

 

“Do you think you could make my arm?” Alex asked. “I’d kind of like having something you made as a part of me,” he admitted, blushing when he realized how cheesy that sounded.

 

“I – maybe? I’ve never tried, though I suppose I know enough about living constructs to be able to make you a functional arm,” Felix mused. “Though I would have to figure out how to make it so you can control the arm, instead of myself, and then there’s the issue of making it grow and be self producing while retaining flexibility-” Felix started rambling. Alex silenced him with a touch.

 

“Not right this second,” Alex said. “Right now, we need to finish washing.”

 

 

 

 


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Do you want the good news, or the bad news?

When they got out of the tub finally, Felix poked his head out of the bathroom, and sure enough he came back with clothes for them. They got dressed in silence, and each article of clothing that Alex put on made him feel just a bit more like himself again. Cecelia had provided him with something nice and soft to wear, and the sleeves of the shirt stopped just shy of touching his injury. While one part of him didn’t want to see it, he was glad that nothing was touching it too. It hurt enough without any help.

 

“Looks like Cecelia gave us some ointment for your arm,” Felix said, holding up a small, round jar. He opened the lid, and a strong herb smell filled the air. “This will probably keep any infection from happening,” he explained.

 

Alex held out his arm, presenting Felix with the injured end. Felix held his arm just above where the blackened end stopped. He covered his other hand in the ointment, and very gently applied it. Despite his light touches, it still hurt, and Alex had to grit his teeth to stop himself from crying out. The ointment must have had some sort of magical properties, because as soon as Felix finished applying it, a cool sort of numbing spread through the injury, relieving the pain again. Between the ointment and Felix’s spell, he might just survive.

 

Felix put the lid back on the jar, and adjusted Alex’s sleeve. He then opened the door, and stopped. Alex could hear him sniffing loudly, and was about to ask what his problem was, when he smelled it – baking cookies. Alex’s mouth watered as his stomach gave a loud growl. He hadn’t eaten in two days, and aside from a bit of water, his stomach was empty.

 

“Is there a reason we’re standing in the doorway, instead of eating cookies?” Alex asked, as Felix continued to smell the air.

 

“The last time she made me cookies, I had been on death’s door after being hit by a curse,” Felix said. “We must have looked awful when we got here. She never bakes unless someone is dying,” he added, laughing.

 

“Do you think if we go downstairs now, she’ll revoke cookie privileges because we look better?” Alex asked, grinning.

 

“There’s only one way to find out. Just so you know though, should she keep us from cookies, I might start crying. They are damn good cookies,” Felix said, shooting Alex a smile before heading down the stairs. Alex went to follow, and could feel anxiety trying to stop him. A lot of ‘what if’s, and the all important question of “can we actually trust her” were making him freeze. He took a deep breath, and forced himself out of the bathroom, and into the hallway.

 

“You coming?” Felix asked. His face was free of concern, but Alex could feel it pouring off of him.

 

“I thought you were downstairs already?” Alex said.

 

“I got to the bottom and you weren’t there, so I came back up,” he explained. Alex could feel the concern turn to fear, and it was eating away at Felix. Alex didn’t know why, but somehow knowing that Felix felt scared, and that tiny gesture of coming back upstairs made him relax. Felix wasn’t going to abandon him...and not just because the bond made them stay close. He had come back because Alex wasn’t there. He took Felix’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, relaxing him a bit too. They went down together, and Cecelia must have heard them, because she popped her head out of the kitchen, and smiled.

 

“You boys look one hell of a lot better,” she said. “But I still have to recommend that you eat some cookies, with a tall glass of milk to sooth your souls,” she added, gesturing for them to come into the kitchen.

 

The kitchen was just as cozy as the rest of the house, and Alex could feel himself trying to relax, even though he didn’t know Cecelia, and had no reason to trust her other than because Felix said she was trustworthy. He sat down at the kitchen table, and a plate of chocolate chip cookies was placed before him with a tall glass of cold milk. His mouth watered, and while a part of him didn’t want to trust the cookies, his stomach did not care. He took a bite.

 

The cookies were heaven in a circular, crumbly, gooey disk. He would die for these cookies. They melted in his mouth, and were perfect in every way. He ate one, and then took a sip of milk, and it was just so good, and exactly what he needed, and he could almost feel his soul sighing with happiness.

 

“Are they good?” Cecelia asked him. Alex blinked, and realized he had been making noises, and a face that had Felix blushing. He chuckled to himself, and offered her a warm smile.

 

“They are perfect, and you are perfect. Bless you and your cookies,” Alex said.

 

Felix turned his face away for a moment, but Alex could still see him grinning like an idiot, his shoulders twitching as he tried not to laugh, and failed.

 

“Don’t laugh at me. These are the best cookies I have ever had,” Alex said.

 

“You’re too sweet,” Cecelia said, as she went and got him another cookie for his plate. “Just for that you can have one more.”

 

“Hey! How come I’ve never gotten one more?” Felix demanded.

 

“Because you aren’t nearly that cute,” she said, teasing him. “Now, do you boys want the good news, or the bad news first?” she asked.

 

They both paused in their eating, and Alex suddenly felt sick. He didn’t want any more bad news. He’d had enough bad experiences to last him a lifetime. Felix didn’t look much happier, and Alex could feel his anxiety too.

 

“Better hit us with the bad news first,” Felix said.

 

Cecelia nodded, and then turned and picked up a piece of paper off her counter. She handed it to Felix and he let out a small ‘fuck’, before sliding it across the table to Alex. He picked it up, and turned it over, and had to hold back several choice words of his own. It was a wanted poster, with a bounty on their heads that was so high Alex could barely comprehend it. They were wanted dead or alive, but the implication was that dead was preferable.

 

“What’s the good news?” he croaked.

 

“The good news is that no one knows you’re here yet, which gives us a small window of time to try and keep you both safe, while stopping the bastard who placed this bounty on you,” she said. “I’ve sent my familiar out to scout the area, so we should get some warning. I have to ask though - how did this even happen?” she asked, pointing at the wanted poster.

 

Alex wasn’t entirely sure, if he was being honest.

 

“I was booted from The Council. It’s most likely someone after me, and they’re dragging Alex into it,” Felix said.

 

“What?! Felix, why would they do that? You’re like their number one General. They practically worship you,” she said.

 

“It’s complicated-” Felix said.

 

“It’s my fault,” Alex told her, cutting him off.

 

“Alex, it’s not your fault,” Felix said.

 

“Isn’t it? I cursed us, and they offered us help, and I told them to fuck off, and that’s why they stripped you of your place in The Council. How is that _not_ my fault?” Alex asked.

 

“Wait – what’s this about a curse?” Cecelia asked.

 

“I cast what I thought was a harmless twenty four hour bad luck curse on Felix, but a page was missing, so I accidentally used the directions for a ‘happy marriage’ curse - thinking it was the directions for the other one – that bound us together, on pretty much every level I can think of. Everything fell apart after that,” Alex said.

 

“Bonding us was an accident,” Felix insisted.

 

“A stupid accident!” Alex snapped.

 

Cecelia made a tsking sound, and held up a cookie in front of Alex’s mouth. He glared at it.

 

“I’m not eating that now. I don’t deserve it,” Alex grumbled.

 

“Well I’m not moving until you do, so I guess you need to decide what you want more – to be angry at yourself or to eat a delicious homemade cookie I made especially for you?” she asked, laying on the guilt.

 

Alex pouted, opened his mouth, and took a bite. They really were perfect cookies.

 

“Happy?” he asked, his mouth still full. He was trying to pout still, but it was hard when his mouth was covered in crumbs, and he was still chewing.

 

“Yes,” she said. Cecelia pulled up a chair, and sat down between them. “So, you boys are cursed huh?”

 

Felix stared at the table for a moment, then started to laugh. Alex and Cecelia exchanged a look.

 

“Something you want to share?” Cecelia asked.

 

“The best part is that Alex is a White Witch,” Felix said, still laughing. “They’re probably after us too! Gods I hate everything – except you two of course,” he said, correcting himself.

 

Cecelia let out a snort of laughter.

 

“You certainly stepped in it this time, Felix. At least you have each other I suppose,” she said. She stood up, grabbed another cookie and slid it onto Felix’s plate. “Here - I think you may have actually earned that,” she told him.

 

Felix groaned, and stared mournfully at the cookie.

 

“Don’t you want it?” she asked.

 

“No, I do, it’s just things must be pretty dire if you think I’ve _earned_ an extra cookie,” he said.

 

Cecelia patted him on the arm, and they held hands for a moment. They were whispering something, and Felix smiled. Alex didn’t know why, but he felt a terrible jealousy begin to coil around him, tightening it’s grip until he thought he might choke. He glared at their joined hands, and wished he could cross his arms, even if it was a bit of a childish urge. Frustration boiled to the surface as he realized he couldn’t do that, or hold both of Felix’s hands anymore. Hell, even getting him to smile was hard. Alex could feel Felix’s misguided sense of guilt every time he looked at him.

 

He grabbed his glass of milk, and downed the rest, and put it down hard on the table. The sound cut through their quiet chit-chat, and Alex stood as two sets of eyes turned towards him – one guilty and one concerned.

 

“I need more milk,” he said, and awkwardly shuffled away from the table, and around to the fridge. He put his glass down, opened the fridge door, and cursed. The milk was in a big jug with a screw cap. He was determined though, perhaps stubbornly so. He pulled out the milk and almost dropped it. It was heavy, and he was still tired and hungry. He grit his teeth and put it on the counter next to his glass.

 

“Do you need help?” Felix asked, already standing.

 

That was not a thing Alex was ready to let happen yet, even if he knew that help would make this easier.

 

“Sit down, I’ve got this,” he snapped. He didn’t know why but the idea of getting help just to pour a glass of milk was too damn much just then. It took him a few tries to get the lid off, and he had to tuck the jug against his body and use his injured arm as best he could to help hold it in place. He did eventually get the lid off, but he was shaking from the effort by then. He really needed some more food in him, and sleep, and rest...he needed a lot of things. He lifted the jug, and began to pour, and he felt rather triumphant for all of five seconds before it slid from his grip. The jug hit the glass, sending it crashing to the floor, spraying milk, and glass shards everywhere. Alex stared at it, and could feel his anger turn to anxiety, and despair.

 

“Fuck!” he yelled. His hands were shaking, and he tried to breathe through the panic, but for some reason he couldn’t seem to remember how to do that.

 

“Don’t you worry, darling. There’s no use crying over spilled milk. I’ve got a mop...in the...garage? Yes, that’s definitely where I keep it. I'll be back in a bit, as it might take me a while to find it,” Cecelia said, looking pointedly at Felix.

 

Alex didn’t move, and just stood there, not breathing. Tears were making his eyes burn, and he blinked and felt them slide down his face. Between one blink and the next, he was being levitated, and Felix was drawing him away from the broken glass and milk on the floor. Alex wanted to punch him, or hold him – he wasn’t sure which. Either way, he was breathing again, in short, sharp bursts.

 

“Take a deep breath,” Felix instructed him.

Alex did, even if he wanted to tell him to shove his ‘deep breathing’ up his ass. Gods, he was so angry, and upset, and it was all so stupid. Felix waited until Alex was breathing normally again before speaking.

 

“On the plus side, now she can’t force us to eat her nasty bran cereal for breakfast,” he said.

 

It was such an absurd thing to say, that it startled a laugh out of Alex. Felix sat Alex down in a chair, then grabbed a dish cloth, and started wiping the milk off of Alex’s clothes and feet. Alex could feel Felix’s guilt again, and it took all he had not to kick the him.

 

“Stop doing that,” Alex said.

 

Felix paused in his washing, and looked up at Alex.

 

“Stop doing what?” he said.

 

“That thing where you look at me and then get overcome by guilt. I can feel it, and it’s driving me crazy. It’s been only a few hours, and I already want to punch you. I’m not going to survive the rest of our lives if you don’t stop,” Alex said. It’s what he should have said instead of trying to passive aggressively pour milk by himself. “I don’t need guilt. I need you, here, being your obnoxious self. I don’t want you to feel bad every time you look at me. I’m going to feel bad enough on my own,” he explained.

 

Felix blushed, and put the cloth down. He sat in the chair opposite to Alex, and scooted it closer until their knees touched.

 

“I can’t promise that I’ll never feel bad...I feel like this is my fault, and I can’t just stop,” Felix admitted. “If I knew how, I would, for your sake alone, id not for mine,” he said. Felix ran his hands through his blond hair, messing it even further. It was curly, and out of control without product. Alex gently pushed his hands away, and started petting his head. He realized now that he’d said it that maybe he was asking too much, too soon. After all, Felix had also been captured, and tortured – if not in quite the same way. Alex sighed. There had to be a solution – some way to help them both feel better.

 

“How about,” he said, making Felix look at him. “When you feel guilty, you think about three reasons to be happy instead? Like the fact that we’re alive, the fact that we’re here, together, and the fact that we both got an extra cookie,” Alex suggested.

 

That put a small smile on Felix’s face, and his lips twitched up, ruining his frown.

 

“Alright, on the condition that when you feel angry or frustrated, you talk to me about it, instead of whatever it is you were doing,” Felix said.

 

Damn. He was being called out on his bullshit too. Still, it was a fair trade. Everything had a cost with this man. Alex held out his hand.

 

“Deal,” he said.

 

They shook on it.

 

“What were you doing?” Felix asked. “Besides getting milk,” he added.

 

“I was...,” Alex sighed. He hated admitting weakness, and that’s what it felt like he was doing. Still, a deal was a deal, and a part of not being angry was talking about it. “I felt jealous,” he said, turning his head away as shame and embarrassment hit him.

 

“Jealous? Of what?” Felix asked.

 

“Of you, and Cecelia, and your ability to hold hands, and the way you were whispering, and smiling, and it’s stupid! I’m stupid, okay?” Alex said, his jumbled up feelings coming out in one big rush.

 

Felix took Alex’s hand in his, and gave it a squeeze.

 

“Well, now we’re holding hands,” he said, lowering his voice. “And whispering,” he continued, offering Alex a small, secretive smile. “And it isn’t stupid, however you don’t need to be jealous. Cecelia is like a bratty younger sister to me,” he whispered. “Please keep that to yourself though. I don’t want a cookie ban for calling her a brat.”

 

Alex laughed. Felix really was quite sweet. He could feel his heart fluttering, and his chest ached with how much he wanted to just kiss Felix. There wasn’t really anything stopping him, was there? He felt a wave of nervousness, at the idea of any intimate gesture. Maybe it didn’t have to be a big thing...and he really wanted a kiss. Alex leaned towards him.

 

“I really want to kiss you right now,” Alex whispered back. “May I?” he asked.

 

Felix blinked, and Alex was delighted to see pink in his cheeks and ears. At least Alex wasn’t the only flustered one. Felix nodded, his face doing a weird sort of smile, like he was trying hard not to, and failing.

 

Alex leaned forward, and brushed his lips against Felix’s. It wasn’t terribly passionate, or deep, but it meant a lot, that moment between them as Felix held absolutely still for him. He placed a second kiss on Felix’s cheek, and then pulled back.

 

“And here I thought I was a skunk in the forest of your life,” Felix said, smiling softly now.

 

Alex laughed. He had forgotten all about that conversation, and it seemed so long ago. For some reason it seemed important to Felix. Alex could admit that maybe he cared for him more than he let on and that maybe he wasn’t so smelly after all.

 

“I suppose skunk might have been a bit harsh of a comparison,” he confessed.

 

He wasn’t ready to say more than that though. He wasn’t entirely sure what he felt about Felix, only that it was somewhere in the region of ‘fond’. Just then Cecelia came back with a mop and broom, poking her head into the kitchen to see if things had calmed down. He was pretty sure the mop and broom hadn't actually been in the garage – in fact he wasn’t sure she had a garage – but it was sweet of her to give them space.

 

“You didn’t cut yourself on the glass, did you?” she asked. She had a roll of bandages, and more of the ointment too.

 

“I’m alright. Sorry about making a mess. I guess I over estimated what I could do when I’m this tired,” he said.

 

“Oh, not to worry, dear. I have broken more than my share of glasses in my life,” she said, smiling. “If you aren’t too tired though, I’d appreciate a hand with the cleanup,” she said.

 

“We could just use magic,” Felix said, groaning.

 

“It leaves spots,” she said and Alex said at the same time, making them both smile.

 

“Now, Felix can mop, while I sweep and change the water, and Alex, dear, if you could pick up the larger pieces of glass, that would be wonderful,” she said. “I’d like to keep most of that out of the garbage if I can, and I’m afraid my back isn’t what it used to be,” she told him.

 

Alex decided right then and there that Cecelia was maybe the nicest person he had ever met. It was like she could read his mind, and knew that he hated feeling useless, or like he needed people to do everything for him. Even as a child when he’d get sick, he often refused his parent’s help. He wanted to do things on his own. He felt like an even bigger jerk now for his little fit of jealous anger. Cecelia handed Felix the mop, and Alex a small bowl to put the glass in, and they went about cleaning up the kitchen.

 

“Alright,” she said as they worked. “How did you escape Pike and his men?”

 

That was a question Alex wanted to know the answer to also.

 

 


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They all learn a thing or two about Felix.

“I don’t remember,” Felix said, pausing in his cleaning of the floor.

 

That couldn’t be right. Alex saw him, saw the dead bodies – how could not remember doing _that_? He had been on _fire -_ literally! Alex finished picking up a piece of glass, and put it in the bowl. He then stood, and walked over to Felix.

 

“Do you remember being on fire?” Alex asked.

 

Felix stopped mopping, and put the mop aside. Crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned against the counter, a contemplative look on his face.

 

“I...I remember seeing you, and all the carnage. I figured I had done it because you were still chained up, but I don’t remember it really. It felt more like I was floating someplace warm, and then I heard you screaming my name, and Pike was dead, and I grabbed you and ran. I don’t remember being on fire, or killing those people,” Felix confessed.

 

Cecelia looked at Felix like he was a puzzle, and that she might be able to find the missing piece.

 

“I wonder,” she said, tapping her fingers along her lips.

 

“You wonder what?” Felix asked.

 

“I wonder if this has to do with your not so human half,” she said. “After all, no one really knows for sure what you are. Maybe it’s magic from your mother’s side,” she said.

 

Felix expression turned dark, and stormy looking. Alex reached out to him, and Felix took his hand, and held it tight.

 

“Is that bad?” Alex asked.

 

“She didn’t want me,” Felix said. “Why would I want anything from her?”

 

He gave Alex’s hand another tight squeeze, and then pulled away. Picking up the mop, he went back to cleaning. Alex exchanged another look with Cecelia, and he didn’t need a bond with her to tell that she was worried.

 

“What if it wasn’t your mom then? What if it was a result of the bond?” Alex asked. “You said my magic felt like sunshine – maybe that was what it was?” he suggested.

 

Felix paused again.

 

“Maybe,” he conceded. “I just remember feeling like my arm was coming off, knowing it was you, and then everything went black.”

 

Huh. Alex hadn’t realized that was what had happened. He didn’t know much about other types of magic, but there was one detail that stood out in his mind – Felix’s face. It had looked different, just like that first day when they’d realized they were bound together, and Felix had helped him control the magic. He should probably mention that...

 

“I don’t really want to think about it. So long as Pike is dead, that’s all that matters,” Felix ground out.

 

Or maybe he wouldn’t mention it. At least not now? Alex didn’t know what to do...He sighed. Felix should know. Shouldn’t he? Alex would want to know.

 

“Are you alright, love?” Felix asked, startling Alex from his spiralling thoughts.

 

“I – I remembered something that might help, but I’m not sure you’ll like it. Of course, if you don’t want to know, or think about it, that’s fine. I don’t have to tell you -” Alex rambled.

 

Felix sighed, but then smiled. He ran a hand through his hair, and then scratched the back of his neck. He looked at Alex, and he didn’t look angry. Alex could feel his apprehension, and his curiosity warring within him.

 

“Alright, let’s hear it,” he said after a minute.

 

Alex shuffled nervously. He was pretty sure he had seen Felix’s face change, but what if he was wrong? He had been pretty out of it at the time. Still, he could picture it so clearly.

 

“Well,” he said. “Your face looked different...kind of pointy? Almost like an elf or something,” Alex told him.

 

Felix’s face went pale, and the mop slipped from his hand, clattering to the floor. Alex could feel a weird sort of tension emanating from him as Felix bent down to pick the mop up again. Maybe he shouldn’t have said anything after all...except wasn’t it better to know?

 

“It was kind of like that day when the curse happened,” Alex said.

 

“What?” Felix said. He walked over to Alex and stared him right in the eyes. “Can you describe it more? Like if someone were drawing it, could you describe it to them?” Felix asked, a sort of frantic energy overtaking him.

 

“I guess – are you okay?” Alex asked.

 

Felix staretd pacing the small kitchen, turning in tight circles, around and around. He stopped, and flicked his hand. A pencil and a piece of paper appeared, and he snatched them from the air, and smacked them down onto the counter.

 

“Describe my face,” Felix said.

 

Alex hesitated – where was he supposed to start?

 

“Uh, well, your eyes were glowing I think, and your face looked much more angular – like your cheekbones?” Alex said. Felix was furiously sketching himself. It was close, but not quite right.

 

“Like this?” Felix asked, holding up the picture.

 

“Close...can I see the pencil?” Alex asked.

 

Felix passed it to him, and slid him the drawing. Alex drew a few lines, sharpening all the angles, and making Felix’s eyes bigger, and his ears pointier. He tilted his head, tapping the pencil against his mouth. Yes. That looked like what he remembered.

 

“Here,” Alex said, sliding the paper back to him.

 

“Shit,” Felix swore. Cecelia came over, and stood behind them, looking over their shoulders.

 

“So,” she said. “On a scale of one to ten, how Fae do you think that makes you?” she asked.

 

“Fae? As in fairies?” Alex asked.

 

Were they actually real? Alex looked at the picture more closely. Felix did look like something from another world – something beautiful but deadly.

 

“How do we know for sure?” he asked.

 

“If I’m half Fae, I will fucking lose my mind,” Felix said. He buried his face in his hands, and rubbed at his temples.

 

“Maybe we could try something to help you remember what happened...or we could do some totally not illegal at all blood magic to test it,” Cecelia offered.

 

“Why? It doesn’t matter!” Felix snapped.

 

Alex pulled back, the sudden loudness frightening him. Felix must have noticed, because he took a deep breath, and then offered Alex an apologetic look.

 

“Sorry,” he said, softly this time. “I just...don’t see the point,” he added.

 

“The point is that it could happen again. You’re magic is already doing weird things because of the curse, right? Don’t you want to make sure you have some sort of control over this?” Cecelia asked.

 

Alex could feel Felix’s discomfort, and wasn’t sure what to do. Should he offer support? Or maybe he should push him to look further into things? Would he even want Alex’s opinion?

 

“What do you think I should do?” Felix asked, turning to Alex.

 

Alex had a moment where his mind went blank. He hadn’t decided what he should do yet, dammit.

 

“Why are you asking me?” he asked.

 

It was Felix’s history, and magic. He really had no say in that when he thought about it.

 

“Because,” Felix said, turning to face him. “Our magic is entwined now, and this might affect you,” he explained.

 

Alright. That made a sort of sense. Alex made a ‘hmm’ing sound as he contemplated their options. Blood magic seemed like a terrible idea, if for no other reason than he didn’t want to see any more blood, possibly ever. What sort of spell would they do to help retrieve Felix’s memories? Would it be safe? Was that even something he should be deciding? That experience had been pretty damn traumatic, and he couldn’t imagine Felix wanting to relive that. Still, what other options did they have?

 

“What sort of spell would you use to help him remember?” Alex asked. That was an important piece of information that he needed before making a decision.

 

“I have a couple in mind, but I think our best bet would be one that lets us use you as an anchor. That way if the memory becomes too much, you can pull him out of it,” she said. “You wouldn’t see anything Alex, but it would mean that Felix would have to relive that moment,” she explained.

 

That sounded like a terrible idea.

 

“Right, and the blood magic does what exactly?” he asked.

 

“Hypothetically it will show us where his mother is on a map, and we can make and educated guess as to her origins from there – it’s not terribly accurate though. Alternatively, there is a spell that would reveal if he’s Fae, but it’s incredibly painful, and could possibly kill him, so I hesitate to even mention it,” she said.

 

All those options sucked. Why couldn’t they just see if iron made Felix uncomfortable or something? Didn’t Faeries hate iron? Alex got up, and started to scour the kitchen. Felix and Cecelia watched him, but neither stopped him. A moment later he spotted it – a cast iron frying pan. He walked over to Felix, and touched him with it.

 

“What are you doing?” Felix asked, amusement clear in his voice. His eyes were twinkling, and it was clear he was trying not to laugh.

 

“Seeing if iron hurts you. That’s a Faerie thing, right?” he asked.

 

“It is, and it’s a good idea, however I’m only half of whatever I am, and so there’s no guarantee that any of the myths would work on me, assuming they’re true to begin with,” Felix explained.

 

“Dammit,” Alex swore, pouting. He had felt so smart for thinking of it. He supposed they’d have to use one of the spells then. “All of those spells sound awful though,” he whined.

 

“True,” Felix agreed. He paused for a moment, and then let out a frustrated sigh. “However, if we think I’m better off knowing, then I think we should avoid the blood magic – it’s too ‘loud’ and is more likely to be spotted – so we should do the memory thing,” he said at last.

 

“Are you sure?” Alex asked. “There’s no rush you know.”

 

“It could be important though,” Felix argued. “And it’s about time I learned the truth, and this may be the best chance I’ll get,” he said. For someone who had just made up his mind, he looked miserable and terribly unhappy about it. Alex threw his arms around Felix and hugged him tight. There was no way this was going to be easy, and he could tell Felix knew that. He was being so brave, and maybe a bit reckless, but that was one of the things Alex liked about him.

 

“I’ll be there to anchor you,” Alex assured him. “I won’t let you get lost in that memory, okay?”

 

“Promise?” Felix asked. He was scared, Alex realized with a shock. He could feel it thanks to the bond.

 

“I promise,” he said. He held up his pinkie finger. It seemed oddly appropriate. Felix gave him the sweetest smile, and hooked their pinkies together.

 

“Whenever you two are done being cute,” Cecelia said with a laugh. “I’ll be in the library, setting up the spell,” she told them.

 

Once she was gone, Felix opened his arms wide, and Alex slid into his lap, and snuggled against him. It was strange because the thought of people touching him made him feel queasy, but then maybe Felix wasn’t really a ‘people’ anymore – not after all they’d been through together. Alex rested his head against Felix’s as he was gently rocked them back and forth.

 

“You don’t have to do this if you aren’t ready. No one will blame you,” Alex said after a while.

 

Felix sighed, and Alex held him even tighter.

 

“I know,” he said. “But I think if I wait I’ll be too afraid to look,” he explained.

 

Alex could feel how much Felix was struggling already. He didn’t want this making things worse. It really was a terrible idea. Maybe they should wait -

 

“I can feel you worrying,” Felix said. He tweaked the end of Alex’s nose. “You don’t need to. I’m fine, and I’ll have you and Cecelia there to make sure that I stay that way,” he said. “Now, let’s go to the library, and get this done, so we can sleep, okay?”

 

Alex nodded, and let Felix lead him from the kitchen, down the hall, and into the library. Alex gasped as they entered the room. It really was like a real life library, and not just a glorified office. There were floor to ceiling shelves covered with books, with piles lining the room even – overflow from the shelves it seemed. Cecelia had cleared a spot on the floor in the centre of the room, and drawn a series of complex symbols in chalk. There were some cushy looking chairs pushed off to the side, and there seemed to be lit candles on almost every surface. One large tome lay open on the floor next to Cecelia, and from what Alex could see it looked like the spell book she was using for their spell.

 

“Alright, Felix, I’m going to need you to strip, dear, and lie in between the symbols I’ve drawn, with your back over this one,” she said, pointing at a large symbol that resembled a tree. “If you could get it as close to being directly below your heart as possible, that would be great. Alex, love, I’ll need you to strip down too, and kneel next to him, right between those two symbols there,” she told him.

 

Alex nodded. He felt self conscious as he removed his clothes however. He didn’t like being naked, and after everything that happened, it was kind of stressing him out. It didn’t help that Felix’s stress was being broadcast to him either. He hated this. He folded his clothes, and placed them aside, and knelt on the floor. A moment later Felix was coming to lie down next to him.

 

“A little more left,” Alex told him, as he lay down on the symbols. He scooted his butt over.

 

“That better?” Felix asked.

 

Alex looked beneath him, and he was pretty much lined up as best as he could be without some sort of ruler, or measuring device. He gave Felix a thumbs up. Felix eased himself down, and even if Alex couldn’t actively feel his nerves, he would have seen it. Felix was sweating, and there was a slight tremor going through his body. Alex wanted to touch him, and offer comfort, but he didn’t know if that would mess up the spell or not.

 

“What do we do next?” Felix asked through gritted teeth.

 

“Next Alex places his hand over your heart, and then we can begin,” Cecelia said.

 

Alex leaned forward slightly, and stretched out his uninjured arm, placing his hand on Felix’s chest, over his heart. He could feel it thrumming under his hand, and wished there was some way to calm him, some way he could offer more comfort.

 

“Ready?” Cecelia asked.

 

Alex nodded.

 

“Felix?” she asked.

 

Alex could feel his heart beat speed up for a moment, and then he nodded.

 

“Very good,” she said. “Alright, hold on to each other, and whatever you do Alex, don’t remove your hand. You’re going to be experiencing his emotions, so if you feel like he is slipping too far into panic, you say ‘Effugium’ as loud as you can. Thankfully this spell is Latin based, and easy to pronounce for a change,” she said. “You got that?” she asked.

 

“Yes,” Alex said, repeating the word over and over in his mind.

 

“Alright. I’m starting then,” Cecelia said, and she began to chant in Latin, the words flowing from her, and pulling them under, and into the spell. Alex was grateful he wasn’t going back into that memory, but he also wished he could spare Felix from having to go back too.

 

Felix twitched beneath his fingers, and he felt the spell hit them. Alex didn’t really need the spell to feel Felix, but with it, his emotions were even clearer, and despite the fact that he wasn’t there, he felt like he was – could almost see what Felix was experiencing.

 

_Rage. Felix had been so angry, and scared. He had wanted to kill everyone of those bastards for days, had dreamed about it. Pain – Alex’s pain – cut into him. RAGE. Something broke inside him, a dam releasing a flood of magic previously untouched. Fae magic. It burned, hotter than the sun, like his anger. He burst through the chains. He burned everyone, tore them limb from limb. Pike – begging for his life. Felix saw what he had done to Alex, had felt it, experienced it on some level. There would be no mercy. He held the man, and let him burn. Someone was calling his name – it was Alex. Escape._

 

The feelings and thoughts came in a swirl of broken fragments, and strong feelings. Alex could feel Felix sinking into his anger. He was deep in the memory, and his skin was growing hot, tiny flames lighting along his body.

 

“Effugium!” Alex shouted. If he didn’t pull Felix out, he’d end up on fire again, and who knew what would happen then.

 

Felix gasped, and Alex could see how confused he was. His mind was having a hard time pulling itself free of the memory. The spell was over, so he pulled back a bit to give Felix room to breathe.

 

“Felix?” he called his name. “Hey, you’re safe now. _I’m_ safe now,” Alex said.

 

Felix looked at him, and Alex saw the relief, followed by the horror of what had happened. Now that Felix was more in touch with the wild Fae magic, Alex could feel it too. It was like a fiery ball just waiting to burn out of control, dancing along the more steady string that was their magic.

 

“Alex?” Felix said.

 

“I’m right here,” Alex said. Felix pulled him in against him, and cradled Alex close to his chest, and cried. Alex rubbed his back with his hand, and made soft shushing sounds. What was that song Felix had sung earlier – the one that calmed him as a child? Alex didn’t know the words, but the tune was still mostly there. He hummed for him, as they held on to each other.

 

“That’s my song,” Felix said, recognizing the tune.

 

“It will keep the monsters back, right?” Alex said.

 

Felix let out a broken laugh that turned into a sob. He nodded his head.

 

“It’s alright, I’m here, and we’re both safe, and they can’t hurt us anymore,” Alex promised. “We figured out what the magic was, and now we never have to go back there again, okay?” he said.

 

Felix nodded again, and held Alex all the tighter. They stayed like that for a long time, Alex humming as Felix rocked them back and forth. The panic was slowly dissipating, and exhaustion was taking it’s place.

 

“Thank you,” hFelix said, as he came down from all the emotions. “I couldn’t have done that without you.”

 

Alex pet his head, and nuzzled his cheek.

 

“I’m glad I could help, but let’s not do that again any time soon, okay?” Alex said.

 

Felix laughed, this time with a smile. He kissed Alex’s forehead.

 

“Agreed,” he said.

 

At some point Cecelia must have left while they were holding each other, because when Alex looked up again she was gone, and the two chairs had been turned into a bed.

 

“Come on, let’s get some sleep,” Alex said.

 

Felix nodded, and they untangled themselves from each other just long enough to stand, and get into the bed. Alex curled up next to Felix, and placed his hand back over his heart. It was beating softer now. He didn’t really mean to, but he matched his breathing with Felix, and the soft rise and fall of them breathing together lulled him into sleep.

 

 


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex has a bad dream, but Felix is there for him.

_Alex was in a small row boat, floating on the sea. He reached for the paddles, and his hands hit water, and he felt a tug. The boat was sinking – he was sinking. The boat disappeared beneath him and Alex screamed as he fell forever. He was surrounded by water, falling beneath it, drowning. He couldn’t breathe. Hands were pulling him down, dragging him into the darkness. Alex screamed, and his lungs filled with water, darkness surrounding him. He’s going to die. He’s going to die! He’s dying! Oh gods! He’s -_

 

Alex was thrashing about in the bed, screaming, gasping for air. Felix was there, calling his name. He cried out in pain as his injury hit the headboard on their bed, and he cradled his arm against his body as he sobbed, his body shaking.

 

It was just a dream. Thank the gods.

 

“Are you alright?” Felix asked, his hands fluttering just above Alex’s body, not touching, not knowing where to. He didn’t want to hurt Alex more.

 

“Just a nightmare,” Alex said, panting. It had felt so fucking real, and Alex felt like he still couldn’t breathe right. He wondered if maybe he had stopped breathing for a second while he dreamt.

 

“Do you need some water or something?” Felix asked.

 

Alex could tell Felix was desperate to help, to ease Alex’s pain. He thought for a moment, and knew what he wanted.

 

“Some more of that ointment and a healing spell would be fantastic right now,” he said. Felix dashed across the room and grabbed a jar that Cecelia must have put there for them. He came back, and unscrewed the lid. Alex found he rather liked the smell of the stuff, the scent calming him. Felix gently took his arm, and applied some more of the salve. Once it had settled into his skin a bit, he then did the healing spell, and Alex gasped as the pain eased from his arm. He looked down, and it already looked a hell of a lot better than the previous day. The once blackened end looked much closer to his skin colour, if incredibly bruised. He sighed as Felix finished his spell.

 

“Better?” Felix asked.

 

“Much,” Alex told him. “Thank you. I’m sorry if I woke you up,” he added. “I was having a terrible nightmare where I was drowning.”

 

Felix rubbed his shoulders and placed a kiss to the top of Alex’s head.

 

“I was actually already awake, and was just reading a book,” Felix said.

 

“Oh,” Alex said, breathing a sigh of relief. “That’s good then!” he said, smiling at him. “I was worried that you had woken to me screaming...Did you sleep enough?” he asked.

 

“Love, it’s almost noon,” Felix said, laughing. “You’ve been asleep for nearly fourteen hours,” he said.

 

Oh. Well, that was embarrassing. Understandable of course, but the thought of Felix having to sit there while he slept so the bond wouldn’t hurt them made him feel awkward.

 

“So, what were you reading?” Alex asked, changing the topic away from himself.

 

“Well, since you asked,” Felix said, and Alex could feel his excitement bubbling inside like a fizzy drink. “I asked Cecelia if she had any books on living constructs, and of course she did, because have you seen her library?” he said.

 

Alex had to laugh at that. Her book collection was quite impressive, it was true.

 

“Wait, are you looking at that for my arm?” he asked.

 

“I figured, since we were here and had a bit of time to not be running for our lives, I could read up on it. It’s actually much more simple than I thought!” Felix said. He was almost bouncing with excitement and Alex couldn’t help but smile. “You see, with wood you need a living graft that you can shape using magic. Once it’s attached to you, your magic would have to fully form and control it. That part is simple, however the hard part is in the grafting. While it is easier with two sets of living matter, different plants will react very differently to magic, so we need to choose carefully, or your magic might reject it. I was thinking oak might be nice?” he suggested.

 

Oak was a sturdy tree, and was used for all sorts of spells. He let the thought sit with him for a moment, just feeling the idea. The thought of having something living for an arm appealed a great deal to him, and oak was...it was kind of perfect actually. Growing up, he had loved climbing trees, and there had been an old oak in his backyard that he had loved to play on. He had actually broken his left arm on that tree, so it seemed only fitting that an oak should pay him back.

 

“I love it,” Alex said.

 

“Really? You’re not just saying that?” Felix asked.

 

“No, I really love it. It’s perfect,” he said.

 

Felix did a little victory dance with his hands, and was absolutely beaming.

 

“Cecelia has an oak tree. She said we could have some, if we wanted,” Felix said at last. He seemed giddy, and it was too cute.

 

“Like, right now?” Alex asked. He didn’t want to get his hopes up, but the thought of having his arm back, even as a living construct, was too exciting.

 

“Yeah! You’ll have to be careful around fire, of course, and casting magic with that hand might be a bit weird at first but -” Felix said.

 

“But shouldn’t I wait until my wound is healed first?” Alex asked, cutting him off.

 

“No! See, if this was a traditional prosthetic limb, you’d have to wait for it to heal and the swelling to go down, but because of the way grafting works, the sooner the better. Healing would actually make it harder, because then it has to like break into your arm, and it would probably hurt a hell of a lot more. The graft will actually help speed up the healing a bit. So, do you wanna try? It might hurt a bit, but I think -” Felix said. Alex cut him off again, this time by throwing himself at him, and pressing kisses to his cheeks.

 

“Yes. Now,” Alex said. “So I can hold both your hands, while I tell you how wonderful you are.”

 

“Alright,” Felix stammered. He was blushing again, and Alex found he liked that look on him – all bashful and pleased.

 

Alex quickly dressed, and they left the library together. There was a fantastic smell wafting through the house, and it was making Alex’s mouth water. They passed the kitchen, and Cecelia was pulling bread out of the oven. Alex’s stomach gave a loud rumble.

 

“Hmm, maybe we should get you food first,” Felix suggested, stopping them outside the kitchen.

 

“If you were planning on skipping lunch, I would rethink that plan,” Cecelia called from the kitchen. Alex was torn between his hunger, and his excitement over the graft. He supposed that he could wait a few more minutes, and eat first...

 

“What’s for lunch?” he asked, already heading into the kitchen.

 

“I was thinking I’d heat up some soup I made yesterday, and we could eat it with the bread,” Cecelia said.

 

“That sounds amazing,” Alex told her. “Can I help with anything?” he asked.

 

She looked about for a moment, and smiled.

 

“Well, it’s pretty much ready, but if you wanted to grab some spoons – oh! Also napkins – they’re in a drawer by the fridge – that would be great,” she said.

 

Alex beamed at her, and went about getting the spoons, and napkins. He set them out on the table. He could smell the soup already, as Cecelia heated it up on the stove. He liked that she cooked using a stove. He found things heated with magic had a funny aftertaste.

 

“Anything else?” he asked, looking around.

 

“Hmm, I was thinking of making some juice. It’s just the frozen stuff – nothing fancy. If you can find the juice container, would you mind making it?” she asked.

 

“Not at all,” he said.

 

It took him a few minutes of searching, and the realization that Cecelia’s kitchen made no sense to him, before he found the container. Felix had sat at the table making unhelpful suggestions, but Alex found it anyway. He pulled it out from a lower cupboard, and then went to the freezer to grab a juice can.

 

“Orange juice, or grape?” he asked.

 

“What do you like, Felix?” Cecelia asked.

 

“I’m partial to orange juice myself. Though it is the afternoon. We could have grape, and drink it out of wine glasses, and pretend we’re fancy,” he said.

 

“I have wine, if that’s what you want,” Cecelia said.

 

“Alex? Preferences?” Felix asked.

 

“I think I’d rather stick with juice for now,” he said. “But if you two want wine, I will not stand in your way,” he added. “Assuming that’s okay with you, Cecelia,” he stammered, remembering that he was guest.

 

“Of course, dear. Why wouldn’t it be?” she asked.

 

Alex shrugged. He didn’t have an answer for that, other than he felt like going into someone’s house and being all ‘I’m drinking juice whether you want me to or not’ seemed rude. Then again, she had told him to make the juice.

 

“So, I’m still making juice, right?” he asked.

 

“Of course!” she said. “Felix, can you get some wine? It’s in the cellar,” she said.

 

Alex paused in trying to get the plastic tab - to open the juice - off with his teeth. He and Felix shared a look. They both knew that moving that far apart would hurt.

 

“We can’t get that far away from each other,” Felix told her. “The bond keeps us physically close. It’s a bit frustrating at times, but there doesn’t seem to be any way to change that yet,” he explained.

 

“Is it supposed to do that?” she asked.

 

“No idea,” Felix said. “It started when our magic merged.”

 

“Hmm, alright, well you come here and stir the soup, and I’ll get the wine,” she said. “I expect a full account of how that happened too by the way,” she added as she left.

 

 

“She’s nice,” Alex said once she was gone.

 

“She’s something alright,” Felix said, smiling. Despite his words, Alex could feel how fond Felix was of her. He did his best to not let it bother him this time. Being old friends didn’t have to mean anything different than that.

 

“I like her. I can see why you trust her so much. She seems like good people,” he said.

 

“She is,” Felix agreed. “I’m glad you like her. She’s one of my only good friends, and it makes me happy that you get along,” he said.

 

Alex made a small triumphant noise as the juice can finally opened. He poured it into the container, and put in the appropriate amount of water.

 

“I’m surprised you don’t consider everyone a good friend. You always seemed so well regarded in The Council,” Alex said.

 

Alex felt a small shift in Felix’s mood. Had he said something wrong? He could feel a note of discontent, and he wondered if maybe things hadn’t been so great for him at The Council. He had just sort of assumed -

 

“Well regarded doesn’t actually mean people like you. Most of those jerks were only kissing my ass to get further ahead. They might have respected me on some level, but it was only because I was stronger than them. They didn’t know me, not really. The Duchess was a friend...not that it stopped her from kicking me out,” he said. Alex could feel the hurt, and lingering anger from that, and it left him feeling guilty again.

 

They could hear Cecelia coming back up from the cellar. Alex grabbed a spoon, and mixed up the juice, then brought it to the table. Felix was ladling out soup into bowls.

 

“Look at you boys! So handy to have around,” she sang. She opened the wine, and set it out on the table, then grabbed two wine glasses for her and Felix. “Do you want a wine glass for the juice?” she asked.

 

“Sure, why not,” Alex said, laughing as he pushed his feelings of guilt back down.

 

It was nice, being in Cecelia’s home, having lunch, and feeling safe. He knew it wouldn’t last, but for right then, in that moment, it felt peaceful and perfect. Felix sat down at the table, and poured wine for him and Cecelia, and then poured juice for Alex. Cecelia brought the soup over, and a knife for the fresh bread. Alex realized, with a sudden pang, that he had been missing this in his life. It wasn’t that he didn’t have friends, but they were all a part of the White Witches, all of them above him. They didn’t do casual lunches, or drink together, or laugh and tell jokes. Maybe he and Felix had a lot more in common on that score than he’d realized.

 

“Everything alright, love?” Felix asked.

 

“Yeah, just uh feeling happy,” he said. “And safe, and glad to be here,” he admitted.

 

“Then I say we propose a toast!” Cecelia said, holding up her wine glass.

 

“To what?” Alex asked.

 

“To future lunches, with all of us, safe and happy, and full of good food,” she said.

 

“I’ll drink to that,” Felix said, clinking his glass against each of theirs.

 

“Me too,” Alex agreed, doing the same.

 

They ate their lunch, chatting away about silly things. There was a chiming sound, and Cecelia sat up, and rushed to the back door. There was a small weasel that was glowing faintly, and it ran into the house, and up Cecelia’s leg and onto her shoulder.

 

“Lola! Are there people coming for them?” Cecelia asked the weasel.

 

Lola made small squeaking sounds, and Cecelia must have understood because she was nodding along. She moved into the kitchen, gave the small creature a treat, and then sent Lola back out.

 

“So, good news is that Lola says that no one is out here looking for you yet, but the bad news is that she spotted a different wanted poster – you’ve got multiple people after you,” she said.

 

Alex felt sick suddenly, like he was going to throw up. They were getting closer, whoever they were, and his feeling of safety was being blown away like smoke in a strong wind. He didn’t know what to do, only that they couldn’t keep hiding. They probably only had a few more days left before they’d have to run again. He looked at Felix, and he could feel it – the dawning realization that they weren’t going to be safe much longer.

 

“Do we know who the other group is?” Felix asked.

 

“Not yet. Lola said that she spotted it in the back room at the tavern. I’m going to go check it out tonight. For now, we should finish lunch. Did you talk to Alex about _the thing_?” she asked Felix.

 

“Yeah, we’re going to do it, assuming oak is still okay with you?” Felix asked him.

 

Alex nodded his head, and stuffed a bit of bread in his mouth. He needed strength if he was going to make it through this, and that meant food, even if his stomach was doing back-flips. He would be happy to have two hands again, so he could punch whoever was trying to ruin their lives.

 

“Will it be safe for you to go there tonight?” Alex asked.

 

“I don’t know about safe, but I’m not leaving you two to face this on your own. I want some damn answers, and I intend to get them,” she said. She sat back down at the table, and took a sip of her wine.

 

Alex wish he could feel that brave. He supposed that he had been through a lot in the past few days, that it would explain the fear he felt clawing at his chest. He ate another piece of bread, and felt it push past the lump in his throat. He was terrified. He didn’t want Cecelia getting hurt, and he didn’t want to have to run, and he didn’t want Felix to be looking like he was about to burst into flames again.

 

“I’m kind of full,” Alex said, pushing his bowl away. He had eaten most of it so he didn’t feel too bad about the little bit left at the bottom. “Do we want to do the graft now?” he asked.

 

Felix blinked, his mind coming back from whatever dark thought it had fallen on. He smoothed out his features, and then smiled.

 

“Yeah, of course,” he said. “The tree is in the backyard, right?” he asked Cecelia.

 

“Yes, just around the corner,” she said.

 

Alex and Felix got up from the table, and took their dishes to the sink. Felix gave them a quick wash, and then led the way out to the back. Cecelia’s garden was overflowing with plants. There were herbs, and flowers, and bushes, and in the corner, just as she’d said, was the oak tree. It was tall, and old,a d Alex instantly liked it. He hoped he’d get to have such a nice garden someday.

 

“Alright, I’ll need a small sample of it, and then we can start,” Felix said. He walked up to the tree, and started to climb it, until he reached a nice, healthy spot, where he used magic to get a small branch. He shaved off a bit of the bark, revealing the healthy green of living matter underneath. He climbed back down with it.

 

“Now what?” Alex asked.

 

“Now you should lie down on the grass, because this might hurt,” Felix said. Alex doubted anything could top getting his arm sawed off, but he lay down anyway. It was better to be safe. He rolled up his sleeve, and exposed his injury, and then lay down on the grass. The sun was warm on his face, and he had to shield his eyes so he could see what was happening.

 

Felix knelt down next to him, the branch in hand. He was taking deep breaths, centring himself. He drew his hands across the branch in a slow, methodical manner, and Alex saw it twitch beneath his fingers. Suddenly strings that were almost root like shot out from the end he had stripped of bark, and Felix placed the stick next to Alex’s injury. They latched on, and shot into him.

 

Alex screamed as pain shot up his arm, into his shoulder. The branch was attaching itself, the roots binding with his body. Felix shaped it, reforming the wood, and the roots dug deeper into him, forming with his nerves, and muscle, and bone. He was crying, and whimpering, the agony intense and different from losing his arm. Be the time Felix sat back, Alex was panting, and twitching with pain. He could feel the branch, filling in the gaps of shattered bones, and creating a system of nerves and muscles in the new arm.

 

He looked down and there it was. His new arm looked like a branch, with fine bark, and leafing twigs, but the most important part was that he had fingers. He tried to wiggle them, and at first it didn’t work. It was one of those things you didn’t really think about usually. He concentrated, though it was hard with the pain still radiating up into him. He took a deep breath, and thought about the idea of moving, the muscles involved, the way it would feel. His new fingers twitched, and he started to cry with relief. He rubbed his hands over the grass – the feeling wasn’t quite the same as his real hand but he didn’t care about that.

 

Alex sat up, and moved his whole arm, bending it, twisting it. The wood was a bit stiff, and would probably never act like his other arm. That was fine though. He took Felix’s hands in both of his, and gave them a squeeze.

 

“I do believe I promised to tell you how wonderful you are,” he said, laughing, using his human hand to wipe at his tears. He couldn’t keep the smile off his face. Losing his arm had been incredibly traumatic, and even though this arm wasn’t quite what he wanted, it made him feel a bit more like himself. He would probably have moments where it made him angry and frustrated, but for right then, he was just happy to hold Felix’s hands.

 

“Is it alright?” Felix asked.

 

“You gave me back my arm and hand. I’d say it’s more than alright,” Alex said. “Thank you.”

 

Felix was feeling guilty again, Alex could feel it. He squeezed Felix’s hands in his, and then brought them to his lips. The wooden hand didn’t bend as nicely, but that didn’t stop him from placing soft kisses along the backs of Felix’s fingers.

 

“You’re wonderful,” Alex said, kissing one hand. “And kind,” he said, kissing the other. “And if you would allow me, when this is all over, I would very much like to go out on an actual date with you,” Alex said. “I know it’s a strange time to ask you out, but I wanted you to know that I want to spend time with you, not just because of the bond.”

 

Felix’s face lit up in a goofy grin, a sweet blush turning his ears and cheeks pink again. He squeezed Alex’s hands, and placed a responding kiss to each one. Alex was delighted that the wooden hand could feel his touch.

 

“Are you seriously asking me out?” Felix asked.

 

“I am,” Alex said.

 

“Then we had better hurry up and stop whoever is trying to ruin our lives, because I want to go on that date with you before you change your mind,” Felix said.

 

Alex didn’t know how to say it, but he didn’t think he would ever change his mind.

 

 


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex tries out the new arm, and things don't go quite as planned.

Alex spent the day trying to get used to his new arm. He realized that he’d have to be careful with it. He kept bumping it on things, knocking leaves off. He wondered if the few leaves left on his arm would change with the seasons. It was strange to look at. He could feel again, more or less, and he kept expecting to see flesh when he looked down, only to be greeted by wood. He had checked it out in the bathroom mirror, and he could even see the ‘roots’ under his skin on the top half of his arm, all the way up into his shoulder.

 

Felix had given him some simple tasks to do, to test out the arm and hand. Alex had even tried a bit of magic, but was afraid to try anything with flames. The magic was a bit unstable in his wooden hand, probably because it was magical itself. He was sure if he practised enough he’d get better at it.

 

“Maybe we should try something different,” Alex suggested, after his third attempt to change a quarter into a tiny metal bird. He was getting frustrated. It was a party trick where you turned a quarter into a tiny bird that would fly in a circle. He had been quite good at, and his right hand had no problem, but the wooden one was not cooperating. It kept sending the quarter flying across the room. It had even broken a lamp.

 

“Are you getting tired?” Felix asked.

 

“A little,” Alex confessed. “It’s been a while since I’ve done this much back to back magic, and it’s hard to get the new arm to do what I want.”

 

“How about we take a break then. You don’t have to have everything figured out right this second,” Felix said.

 

Alex knew that – he really did - except that he felt like there was a rush. Any moment they could be found, and captured, and tortured again. He couldn’t go through that a second time. Just thinking about it had his heart racing, and his thoughts spinning out of control. He needed to be able to use both arms, and if he couldn’t do a simple transformation spell with a light animation, then how was he supposed to do anything harder like a defensive spell?

 

“Maybe a few more minutes,”he said as he sent another quarter flying across the room.

 

Felix walked over to him, and sat down next to him.

 

“I think you’ve been working hard all day, and need a break,” he said gently.

 

Alex knew he was right, but he didn’t want to heat that. Anxiety was tearing him apart, and a rush of anger filled him as he went and got another quarter.

 

“I can’t stop. Not yet anyway,” Alex said, grinding his teeth. The stupid quarter went flying – again.

 

“Alex -” Felix started, going to touch Alex’s arm.

 

He didn’t know what came over him, but that small touch made him recoil, his magic lashing out as fear and hurt and anger consumed him. Flames erupted from Alex’s body, and headed straight for Felix, who tried to pull back, but wasn’t fast enough. He let out a pained cry as fire burned his hand. Felix yanked his hand away, but the damage was already done.

 

Alex couldn’t stop. The magic he was tapping into wasn’t their magic, but the wild Fae magic, and it was out of control. Alex tried to pull back, but he felt like he was burning up inside, and the magic was just using him as a way to escape.

 

“Help me!” he screamed, as more and more fire poured out of him. He was drowning in panic. He saw Felix move, and then his wrist was being grabbed, and Felix was dragging him in to a hug. Alex closed his eyes, and there he was, with Felix in his mind, and they were together.

 

“You’ll burn! You have to let me go!” Alex yelled.

 

“I’m not leaving you to be consumed by Fae magic!” Felix yelled back. He grabbed the core of the wild magic that was pulsing through them, and held it tight.

 

“What are you doing?” Alex demanded.

 

“I’m trying something!” Felix grit out around the strain of whatever he was doing.

 

Alex felt it then, a change in the space where their magic resided. He had felt it before – the cold and the dark. It was the essence of Felix’s magic. Felix was teasing a bit of it from their joined thread. Ice crystals were forming around the fire, and freezing the flame, cooling it’s burning. It was so cold that Alex was beginning to shiver.

 

“Felix – we need to go,” he said, his teeth chattering as the cold picked up.

 

The ice was forming to Felix’s hands, trapping the fire in them. What was he doing? If he didn’t let go soon he would freeze, and the magic might even snuff out. Alex grabbed him, trying to pull him free. Felix turned to face him, and Alex saw frozen tears crystallizing on his cheeks.

 

“You have to stop,” Alex told him.

 

“No. I hate this! I want it gone, before it destroys us!” Felix shouted. The ice was getting thicker.

 

“Felix! You’re going to kill us _now_ if you don’t stop,” Alex said, pleading with him.

 

“But -” Felix tried. His body was shaking.

 

Alex came up behind him, and hugged him as he pried his hands free of the ice. The ball dropped, and the flames were free, this time smaller, and less out of control. They flew off into the darkness, and Alex pulled Felix back.

 

Alex blinked and opened his eyes. The library was smouldering, and Cecelia was there, swearing up a storm as she put out any remaining fires. Felix was cradling his burnt fingers to his chest, staring at Alex with a desperate look on his face. Alex rushed over to him, and held him, both of them shaking.

 

“I’m sorry,” Alex whispered over and over.

 

“Are you two alright?” Cecelia barked as she stomped on another small fire.

 

“Felix got hurt, but I’m okay, just shaken,” Alex said.

 

“How hurt is ‘hurt’?” she asked.

 

“My fingers are a bit burnt, but otherwise I’m fine,” Felix said at last. He grabbed the ointment off the table, and started to apply it to his fingers.

 

“What the hell happened?” she asked as she put out the flaming curtains.

 

“The damn Fae magic happened,” Felix said, sighing with frustration. “I managed to freeze it a bit, but it’s not going to stay that way,” he told her.

 

“Wait, but aren’t you the one who was burned?” she asked.

 

“Alex’s magic is bound with mine, possibly irreversibly so, and so if I can access it, he can as well...though I get the impression that you didn’t mean to do that,” Felix said, turning to look at him.

 

“I didn’t. I don’t know what happened – one second I was okay and then I wasn’t,” Alex told them. “I’m so sorry about your and hands, and the library,” he added.

 

“I’m just glad you’re both alright. We need to figure out a way to control it though. Unfortunately I need to get down to town to check out that other poster,” she said.

 

Alex and Felix exchanged a worried look. Neither of them felt it was a good idea for her to go, especially not alone. Felix cleared his throat.

 

“About that, Cecelia -” he started to say. She cut him off with a glare.

 

“I’m going, you two are staying here, and I am not discussing this,” she said.

 

“It’s dangerous though!” Felix said, raising his voice.

 

“I’m a big girl, I can take care of myself,” she said firmly. “Besides, on the off chance things go south, you two can come save me.”

 

“Only if they don’t kill you,” Alex said softly. “Though there are things worse than death...,” he murmured as he cuddled in against Felix.

 

Cecelia sighed, and came and sat on Felix’s other side, and leaned against him.

 

“I know it’s dangerous,” she said. “That’s why I want you to stay here. You’ve both been through so much, and I – I want to help,” she told them.

 

“You can’t help us if you get caught,” Felix reasoned.

 

“So what, we just leave it, and hope for the best?” she asked.

 

Alex knew there wasn’t a simple answer to that question. They needed to know who was after them, and the longer they stayed in one spot the more danger they were in – the more danger they were putting Cecelia in too. He didn’t want anyone else getting hurt because of him. He couldn’t even stand the thought of something bad happening to her. Sure, maybe nothing bad would happen, but they didn’t know that, and he wasn’t willing to take that risk with anyone else.

 

“We could leave,” Alex said. He didn’t think they had heard him at first, because no one said anything, but then he could feel Felix’s emotions, the chaos of them, and knew that they had.

 

“I think that’s a terrible idea,” Cecelia said.

 

“Is it though?” Felix asked. “The longer we stay still, the more likely we are to be caught, and the more likely you are to be thrown into the middle of this mess,” he said.

 

“I don’t mind getting my hands dirty,” she said.

 

“I know,” Felix said. “But we don’t know who’s after us, and you can’t help us if you get caught. If we aren’t here you can pretend you know nothing about us. If someone follows you, they won’t find us. You still wouldn’t be safe, but it would allow you to move more freely,” he reasoned.

 

Cecelia hummed as she contemplated that, her leg bouncing up and down with nervous energy. She sighed, and Alex had a feeling that they had just won that very short argument.

 

“How would we keep in touch?” she asked.

 

Alex had a thought on that too.

 

“We can use journals!” he said.

 

They both turned to look at him, confusion clear in their expressions.

 

“Felix, I need two journals, and some pens,” he said.

 

Aside from a raised eyebrow, Felix didn’t say anything, he just created the journals, and pens and handed them over. Alex hadn’t done the incantation in years, so he hoped it worked. The magic felt strange in his left arm, which he noticed was a bit singed in places, but soon enough he felt the tingling of magic flowing through him, and into the journals and pens.

 

“What spell was that?” Felix asked.

 

Alex didn’t answer, and just handed him one of the journals and pens.

 

“Open it to the middle,” he said.

 

Felix flipped through until he came to the middle, and Alex took the other book and wrote in it, _Hello Felix._

 

“What am I -oh!” he said as the words showed up in his book. “What a clever little spell!” he said, handing it over to Cecelia so she could see too.

 

“Huh, that is clever,” she agreed.

 

“An old friend of mine taught it to me, so we could keep in contact when he moved across the country. He eventually spilled water on it, so it stopped working right, but we used it for a few years,” Alex said. “I’m surprised I even remember the spell to be honest,” he added, laughing. “We haven’t talked in years now, but it was fun. The message also disappears with a quick word,” he said. “I set it for the word ‘freedom’.”

 

“Freedom,” Cecelia repeated. “Alright, how will you stay hidden? What about food, and clothing, and supplies, and -” she said, all her worries coming out in one shot.

 

“We have magic,” Felix said. “And, I know better than to have high level wards around us now. We can go further south, someplace quiet, or maybe a big city where we can get lost in the crowds...that might be better...,” he said.

 

“We still don’t know what they want,” Alex added. “We need to find someone to interrogate, who can tells us why they’re after us.”

 

“A big city will be our best bet then. New York isn’t terribly far, and there’s a powerful information broker there. We don’t have anything to trade yet, but I’m sure we can think of something,” Felix said.

 

“I could give you something to trade,” Cecelia said.

 

“Oh?” Felix asked.

 

Cecelia stood up, and walked deeper into the library. There was some loud shuffling, and then she returned carrying a box. She dusted off the lid, and opened it up. Alex peeked over Felix’s shoulder, and saw that inside was a silvery mirror, clad in some sort of reflective black metal that shone even in the soft light.

 

“Is that what I think it is?” Felix asked.

 

“If you’re thinking that it’s a Reaper’s Mirror, then yes,” she said.

 

Alex couldn’t stop staring at it. The more he looked, the more it seemed to call to him. He had to shake himself in order to pull his mind away. What a strange piece of magic.

 

“What’s a ‘Reaper’s Mirror’?” Alex asked.

 

“It’s a magical artifact that allows you to speak with the dead. They’re incredibly rare, and the myth goes that you can only get one from an actual grim reaper. Where did you get it?” Felix asked.

 

“I was in China, and this man bumped into me. He had the mirror in his hand, was talking to it in the middle of the day. I don’t think he knew what it was. They’re not good for people to use though. They suck you in. You never even know who will come through. The man was clearly upset though, so I followed him – an angry spirit was tormenting him and whispering to him through the mirror. I helped him free himself, and he asked me to take it. I took it home, put it in this box, and haven’t touched it since,” she said.

 

“We clearly need to talk more,” Felix said, staring at her in awe.

 

“I keep telling you that,” she said, smirking. “But you never listen.”

 

“Is it safe for us to carry it?” Alex asked. He didn’t know why, but hearing that story made him feel very apprehensive about taking it.

 

“As long as you don’t use it, you should be fine,” she said.

 

Right. Like he’d want to use it after that story. He watched as she put it back in the box, and handed it over to Felix. He opened a small hole in the air, and stuck it inside, tucking it away. Alex didn’t know if he felt better by not knowing where it was.

 

“We’ll have to hitchhike,” Felix said. “I don’t want to draw attention by teleporting again. I think they were able to trace it. I don’t want to risk using too much powerful magic – that seems to be a clue to them,” he said.

 

“I can send you with some food for the road,” Cecelia said. “Though I still feel like I should try to convince you to stay,” she added, elbowing Felix in the side. “If I get any news on my end, I’ll let you know. I have a few contacts who I can trying getting information from.”

 

“Thanks Cecelia,” Alex said. “I’m glad we have at least one person on our side,” he told her.

 

“I just hope this goes well,” she said. “I’ll be very cross if anything bad happens to either of you,” she said, pointing to each of them in turn. “Now, when are you planning on leaving?” she asked.

 

“I think it should be tonight. We’ve already lingered too long. Complacency will be the death of us all if we aren’t careful,” Felix said.

 

They were leaving so soon? Alex had hoped to go in the morning, but he supposed that night time worked too. It would be cooler, and they would be less likely to be seen. He hated to leave, but he knew it was the best choice to keep them all safe – it had been his idea after all. He and Felix could move more easily as just the two of them, and this way Cecelia was less likely to be targeted. He would miss her though, from her warmth, to her amazing cooking. At least she was planning on sending them with food.

 

“Fine. I’ll go gather a few things for you. Try to find something inconspicuous to wear,” she said, poking Felix in the chest. Felix winced, and batted her hand away, but before she could leave, he grabbed her arm, and pulled her into a hug.

 

“We’ll be okay. We’ll leave you notes in the book, we can use our old code even, just like the old days. Alex and I will take care of each other,” he promised her.

 

“You had better,” she said, and Alex was surprised to hear her sniffle.

 

Alex didn’t know if it was appropriate or not, but he wanted in on their hug. He squished himself against her back, giving both her and Felix a hug as he threw his arms around them. She let out a small laugh, and patted his wooden hand.

 

“Alright, let me up. Food doesn't pack itself,” she said.

 

They gave her one last hug, and then let her out of their arms. Felix conjured a bag, and started to put a journal in it, and transfigured his clothing into jeans and a worn looking t-shirt. It was so bizarrely casual for him, that Alex couldn’t help the snicker that escaped.

 

“Something funny, Du Pont?” Felix asked, playfully giving his shoulder a light shove.

 

“You just look so...not like yourself,” Alex said, trying hard not to laugh. He was failing, and quite badly too. He kept giggling. Felix looked so uncomfortable.

 

“Can I help it if my sense of style is a cut above everyone else?” Felix asked.

 

“It’s just... you need to relax a bit more. You’re too stiff for this outfit,” Alex explained. He poked Felix’s stomach, making him slouch slightly, and then he wiggled Felix’s arms for him until they were looser, and he looked less like a formal painting with the wrong clothes on. “That’s better,” Alex said, standing back to survey his work.

 

“Good. Now, we’ll need something to cover your arm. I feel like living wood might stand out a bit,” Felix said. He waved his hands in a complex series of motions, and Alex felt his clothing change. He looked down, and he was wearing a long sleeved leather jacket, and gloves, like he had been out riding a motorcycle.

 

“Where’s my bike to go with this outfit?” Alex teased.

 

“Sadly you’re bike was destroyed in a tragic accident, but you managed to escape relatively unscathed. I found you, and we’ve been trying to get you home,” Felix said, spewing out a story on the spot.

 

Cecelia came back, and started to laugh.

 

“You two look so weird right now,” she said. She had a bag full of what Alex was guessing was sandwiches, and two thermoses. “I packed you some food, and some coffee to keep you going tonight. It won’t get you far, but it should be enough to keep you for a day,” she said, handing them to Felix, who then put it in their bag. He also grabbed the ointment.

 

“Can we have this?” Felix asked.

 

“Of course,” she said.

 

They were ready now, in that they had everything they needed for the trip. Emotionally, Alex wasn’t sure he’d ever be ready. He hugged Cecelia again, and he felt her slip something into his pocket.

 

“For when things get rough,” she whispered in his ear.

 

She pulled back, and hugged Felix too.

 

“Be good,” she said,

 

“Aren’t I always?” Felix asked.

 

They shared a knowing smile, both laughing at a joke Alex didn’t fully get. That was okay though. He would have time to get to know Felix. They headed to the door, and the night was cool, and dark, the moon tucked away behind clouds.

 

“Don’t forget to write,” Cecelia said. “And for the love of all that is good in this world, stay safe.”

 

“You too,” Alex and Felix said at the same time. They burst out laughing. Cecelia shook her head at them, but she was smiling too. With that, they walked out the door, and into the night.

 

 


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys are back on the run, and Alex has a bit of an epiphany.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who is reading this, for the lovely comments, and the kudos. You all rock, and I treasure each one!! It really inspires me to keep writing, so thank you.

Alex decided that as soon as they were safe, he was going to buy a car and just drive up and down the highway helping hitchhikers. His feet were killing him, and despite throwing their thumbs up, no one was stopping. It had been hours now, and he was so very tired. He had needed sleep first. They should have left in the morning. Who would pick up two strange men at night?

 

“We need to stop for a rest,” Alex said. He didn’t know if it was because the bond was still fairly open, but he could feel a phantom ache in his feet, and he was pretty sure that Felix was in even more pain than he was.

 

“We’ve only been walking for a few hours,” Felix said, though it was a very half-hearted argument.

 

“I don’t care. I’m in pain, you’re in pain -don’t even try telling me differently – and if I don’t sit down for a minute I’m going to start crying. Come on, we need to rest,” he said.

 

Felix stood still for a moment, and Alex could almost hear the argument he was having with himself.

 

“Yeah, okay,” Felix said after a minute. It seemed the pain had defeated any fight he had left.

 

They climbed down the ditch on the side of the road, and headed up onto a grassy area. Alex practically threw himself at the ground, and pulled his shoes off, a small cry of relief escaping him as the pressure on his blisters was eased. He lit a small flame in his right hand so he had light, and then he could see how bad his feet were. They were a mess of blisters.

 

“Fuck, I needed different shoes for this,” Alex said, stretching out his legs and curling his toes in the cool, wet grass. It hurt like hell to move, and at the same time, it felt amazing not to be standing anymore.

 

Felix came and sat next to him, and Alex noted that his shoes were also off. His feet were more blister than feet, and there were even a few spots that had been rubbed to almost bleeding. Alex doused the flame, and then reached into their bag, and pulled out the ointment.

 

“Give me your feet,” Alex said, tapping Felix on the leg.

 

Felix only hesitated for a moment, before swinging his legs around so that his feet could sit in Alex’s lap. Alex opened up the ointment, and dipped the fingers of his right hand into it, massaging it a bit to warm it up. Felix hissed as he rubbed the ointment into his foot, massaging his foot as best he could. He didn’t want to use his wooden arm, because the bark would be too rough, so he did what he could with just his right hand. He felt the blisters easing a bit from the ointment, and hoped it would be enough.

 

“Gods, that feels amazing,” Felix said. He moaned when Alex hit a sore spot, and the sound made him blush. He hadn’t thought about being intimate with Felix since their torture – it was too much to even consider – yet there he was, getting all hot and bothered by a little moaning. He pushed the feelings back down, and switched to Felix’s other foot.

 

“You know, if being a witch doesn’t work out for you, I think you could have a real future in foot massage,” Felix said.

 

Alex let out a laugh at that. He couldn’t really picture it if he was honest.

 

“I think I’ll hold off on making any big life changes right now,” he said. “You should use that healing spell on your feet,” he added.

 

“Want me to do your feet too?” Felix asked.

 

“Yeah. They are killing me right now,” Alex said.

 

Felix sat up and used the spell on his feet, then did the same to Alex. It felt so much better, even though the pain wasn’t fully gone. Alex rubbed some ointment into his own feet, and sighed as it eased some of the agony. He then put the ointment back. He was about to close the bag, when the journal lit up for a moment, showing that there was a message.

 

He opened it up, the page softly glowing, and started reading.

 

It was mostly pleasantries, and questions along the lines of “are you warm enough?” or, “Will you have enough food?”. He kept reading, and swore.

 

_...I’m going to go check out that poster. I know you told me not to, but you aren’t here to stop me so ha ha ha! I win!_

 

Fuck.

 

“Did she send us a message already?” Felix asked, sitting up slightly.

 

“Yeah, and you aren’t going to like it,” Alex said, handing the book over.

 

Felix read it, and Alex knew the moment he got to _the part_. He swore too, and rifled through the bag for the pen.

 

“What is she thinking, going anyway? We had decided not to do that!” he said, as he wrote in quick, hard lines.

 

“What are you going to tell her?” Alex asked.

 

“That she’s being a reckless idiot, and that if she dies, I _will_ find a way to bring her back so I can kill her myself,” he snapped.

 

Alex yawned. They needed to keep moving or he would fall asleep. Felix also needed to finish writing his angry letter. Alex gently smacked his cheeks to keep himself awake.

 

“What ever are you doing?” Felix asked. He was looking at Alex like he was an alien with two heads.

 

“Trying to keep myself awake,” Alex said. “Write faster. I want to get going again, before I fall asleep,” he added around another yawn.

 

“We could always go further away from the road, and take a quick nap,” Felix suggested. He was still writing in the journal, and while the speed had slowed down, the pressure with which he pressed the pen to paper had not let up at all. Felix was still angry, despite his light tone while talking to Alex.

 

“We probably should have left in the morning,” Alex said.

 

“Yeah, that was bad planning on my part. So, nap?” Felix asked.

 

“Nah, we need to keep going or we’ll never get there,” Alex said, forcing himself to stand. While his feet had mostly stopped hurting, it brought into sharp focus the pain in the rest of his body. His legs burned, and his lower back was aching, up into his shoulders where he had been carrying the pack. Fortunately it was Felix’s turn to carry it, so Alex handed it over to him, and then stretched, his shoulders and back cracking, readjusting everything.

 

“Alright, let’s go see if we can catch a ride,” Felix said as he stood and hoisted the bag onto his back.

 

“I hope someone stops this time. I really don’t want to walk the entire way. It’ll take us days to get there,” Alex said.

 

They walked down to the road, and started back along the expanse of highway. A few cars passed them, and they stuck out their thumbs, but no one stopped.

 

Almost an hour had passed, and Alex was going to suggest taking that nap after all, when a pick up truck pulled off to the side of the road, just ahead of them. They exchanged a look of excitement, and then ran towards it. A middle aged man rolled down his window as they approached.

 

“You boys sure picked a bad time to hitchhike,” he said, laughing. “Where you heading?”

 

“Towards the border. You heading that way by any chance?” Felix asked, using a more American accent. It was jarring, and sounded so strange. It took all Alex had to keep a straight face.

 

“I’m actually stopping just a bit before the border, but it should be close enough to catch a bus or something,” the man said. “You want a lift?”

 

“Yes,” the both said at once, their desperation obvious.

 

The man just smiled, and unlocked his doors.

 

“Hop in,” he said.

 

Alex and Felix raced to the other side of the car, and Felix got in first, before helping Alex up. The truck was cozy, and probably not meant for three adult men, but they more or less fit, and as long as they didn’t get pulled over, it would be fine.

 

“I’m Gord, by the way,” the man said, as he started to drive away.

 

“I’m Steven, and this Matt,” Felix said. Apparently they were using fake names this time too.

 

“Nice to meet you,” Gord said.

 

“Thanks so much for stopping,” Felix said. “We realized a bit too late that morning would have been better for an adventure,” he told him. He gave self-deprecating laugh, and Gord nodded in sympathy.

 

“First time hitching a ride then?” Gord asked.

 

“Is it that obvious?” Felix asked.

 

“Well, I don’t know about obvious, but having travelled this road a lot, I know it’s pretty empty at night. Day time is more busy, but it’s hot as hell, so it’s a bit of a trade off. But I’ve done plenty of cross country adventures myself. Of course that was many years ago now,” Gord said with a laugh.

 

“Oh? I’d love to hear about your adventures,” Felix said.

 

Alex wanted to listen – he really did – but he was exhausted, and soon the light rocking of the truck, and the soft country music playing on the radio was lulling him to sleep. He leaned against Felix, and let himself fall into unconsciousness.

 

Alex awoke when they pulled to a stop. Felix gave him a gentle nudge, and Alex blinked into wakefulness. He yawned, and looked around. It was early morning, and the town they had stopped in was blanketed in fog. He hadn’t meant to sleep so long. He felt a lot better, aside from his neck being sore from not moving.

 

“Morning sleepy head,” Gord said to Alex. “We are as far as I’m going. There’s a bus stop a few blocks away,” he told Felix.

 

“Thanks again Gord. We really appreciate the ride,” Felix said. “And it was a joy listening to your stories.”

 

“You flatter me,” Gord said, chuckling. “You boys have a nice time, and be safe. There’s a lot of creeps in the world,” he warned.

 

Alex and Felix knew that one far too well. They had suffered a lot because of it. They got out of the truck, groaning as they stretched. Gord got out on the other side, and Felix went to shake his hand. Alex felt the magic more than he saw it, and realized Felix had done a spell. When he came back, Gord was blinking, looking confused.

 

“Come on, let’s go,” Felix said, slipping back into his actual accent.

 

“What did you just do to him?” Alex asked.

 

“I altered his memory,” Felix said. “The last thing we need is another Pike ordeal,” he grit out.

 

“You don’t think he’s an imposter too, do you?” Alex asked

 

“No,” Felix said, even as he glanced behind them.

 

“Are you alright?” Alex asked. Felix seemed very tense now and it was worrying him.

 

“I kept thinking about what I would do if he tried to attack us,” Felix said. “Even though he doesn’t have a speck of magic, I can’t help but feel paranoid that he’s tricking us somehow,” he said, letting out a small, panicked laugh. “It’s amazing how much a little torture can fuck you up.”

 

Alex stopped him, and pulled him into a hug.

 

“It’s alright. We’re okay, and now he doesn’t even remember us,” Alex said. He rubbed Felix’s back, easing the tension little by little, until he was almost melting against him. “We’re safe.”

 

“I don’t know what I would do without you,” Felix murmured against the top of Alex’s head.

 

“Suffer and be lonely?” Alex suggested, teasing him.

 

“Sounds about right, yeah,” Felix agreed.

 

Alex pulled back to look at him. That had sounded like a serious answer. Felix looked like he was lost in thought, and Alex had to stare at him for a while before he looked back.

 

“You’re not alone anymore,” Alex said.

 

Felix gave him the softest smile, and pulled Alex back into him for a tight hug.

 

“You need to stop being so precious,” Felix said. “It’s making me feel _things_ ,” he told him.

 

Alex didn’t know what to say to that, or what he should do, so he just hugged Felix, and let himself enjoy being surrounded by him. They eventually had to stop hugging however, so they could get to the bus station.

 

“Are we using fake money again?” Alex asked as they walked.

 

“No, Cecelia gave me some money. We are, however, going to have to use fake passports and ID,” he said.

 

Of course. Alex sighed, but what could he say? They needed to get to New York City, and that meant crossing into the States. He didn’t have any ID on him – it had all been burnt up in his apartment – which meant that they needed fake passports.

 

“Do you even know how to make a fake passport?” Alex asked.

 

“Of course. I happen to be quite good at faking various forms of ID. It’s sort of important when you work for a vigilante type group,” Felix said. He was referring of course to The Council. Alex just shook his head. Never in his life had he broken so many laws. “There’s the bus depot,” Felix said, pointing to a small, grey bricked building.

 

They walked in, and there were only a couple of people waiting for a bus. Felix went in and bought them two tickets for New York, and then they waited. They’d still need to get to New York City from the bus depot in New York, but it would be a lot closer.

 

“Did you sleep at all last night?” Alex asked when Felix let out a long yawn.

 

“No, so I expect you to stay awake on the bus, in case I fall asleep,” Felix said.

 

“We really should have slept before coming on this trip,” Alex told him.

 

Felix nodded, and yawnedas he leaned back in the hard plastic seat in the waiting area. Alex was amazed when less than a minute later, Felix was asleep, his chin tucked into his chest.

 

Alex watched him, taking in the softness of his face while he slept, the way his pale eyelashes fanned out against his cheeks. He wanted to reach out and touch, to trace the line of his nose, or over his dark blond eyebrows. He wanted to kiss his lips, and rub against the stubble that had grown. Felix’s hair was usually perfectly coiffed, not a strand out of place. Now it lay in soft curls on top of his head, and fell across his forehead. He had dark circles under his eyes – too many days with not enough sleep. Still, he was handsome.

 

Alex could still remember the first time they’d met. It had been the first time Alex had been allowed out in the field, and the White Witches had been tasked with stopping The Council from hijacking a shipping container full of supplies for the police force. They had gotten to the shipping yard, and after running around like idiots, fighting off lackeys, they finally found the shipping container...sort of. The container was there, but when they opened it, all they found was Felix, sitting in a chair, drinking tea. At the time Alex had considered it an incredibly foolish, and arrogant move – until Felix kicked their asses. He knew now that Felix probably hadn’t even been trying hard. It was all for show. Alex found it rather funny now that he wasn’t in the moment.

 

He wondered if they hadn’t been on opposing sides, if they would have been friends...or more even. He rather liked Felix, now that he had spent a bit of time with him. He was thoughtful, and kind, and funny. Alex wanted to know more, to know everything really, that there was to know. What was his childhood like? Did he have a favourite food? What about books? It seemed like he enjoyed reading. Felix had been alive a lot longer than Alex too – what was that like? What had he seen in his lifetime?

There were so many questions, and Alex wanted to know the answer to all of them. Felix let out a little snort of a snore, and then went back to his quiet breathing. Alex couldn’t help but smile – Felix really was too cute sometimes.

 

Alex sighed. He had been avoiding thinking about his _feelings_ for a few days. Sure, he liked Felix, the sex they’d had before everything went to shit, had been amazing. He had enjoyed spending time with him, and had even asked him out on a date. Did he lo – no. He didn’t even want to think the word. It had been a week! You didn’t fall in love in a week! It was ridiculous. He crossed his arms over his chest, and let out a huff of frustration.

 

Their relationship – if one could call it that – hadn’t exactly started off on the best foot either. It wasn’t like he could just wipe away their pasts, right? He couldn’t just choose to move on from that, could he? He looked at Felix, his expression gentled by sleep, and sighed. All he wanted to do was to curl up with Felix in a nice bed, and sleep, and then cuddle, and maybe talk about the idea of being able to have sex again some day.

 

He also had another issue, which was the bond. He knew they should try and get rid of it, but he kind of didn’t want to anymore. He’d like to close it a bit so it was less loud – though it wasn’t as bad as when they were being tortured by Pike. Still, he liked feeling Felix there, to have that comfort. It wasn’t even about the magic, and that was the worst part. He could understand wanting to have access to all that power, even if the Fae magic had kind of ruined that for them, but that wasn’t what it was about at all. He had touched Felix’s soul, they had been closer than he’d ever be with anyone again, and he...he liked it. He didn’t want to lose that – to lose Felix.

 

Alex’s heart skipped a beat, and he realized in that moment the terrifying truth - he was in love with Felix. He felt like an idiot, but he wanted to wake up next to him, and get an apartment with him, and maybe own a million plants, and have a cat or something. The details were unimportant, so long as it was Felix that was next to him.

 

“Well fuck,” he swore quietly.

 

 

 


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex has a crisis on his hands - namely his feelings.

Alex was in love with Felix. He looked down at Felix’s sleeping face, and his already pounding heart seemed to go even faster as it fluttered in his chest. Should he tell Felix his feelings? What if he didn’t feel the same way? What if he was only being nice because they were stuck together? What if –

 

A million fears and questions raced through Alex’s mind, and he started to hyperventilate. He couldn’t tell Felix his feelings. Not when they had a bond. Anything Alex felt, Felix would feel too. He already had a hard time telling their emotions apart...what if his love made Felix think he was in love also? He needed to fix the bond. Alex took a deep breath and plunged into their shared core of magic.

 

Now that he was looking at it, he could see the damage Pike had done. It would take a bit of effort to heal it, but Alex felt like he was capable. It wouldn’t be perfect, but maybe it would allow him to hide his feelings for a bit. He touched the sparking edge of the thread, and smoothed it back down, easing the bond. He couldn’t stay there too long, or they’d miss their bus, but even just that little bit seemed to quiet his mind, and body.

 

He pulled out, and back into the world, panting. Felix didn’t feel quite as prominent in him any more, which was helping him to calm down. Maybe if he was careful, he could actually keep this to himself. He took several deep breaths, slowing his heart to a normal pace. All he had to do was not think about it. Of course as soon as he thought that, his mind was flooded with his feelings for Felix, the word ‘love’ being played over and over again. He shook his head. He needed to calm down.

 

The bus pulled up, and Alex cursed. He called Felix’s name, but he wasn’t stirring. He didn’t want to touch him, afraid that it would make his feelings too obvious. Unfortunately he didn’t have a choice. He shook Felix’s shoulder until he woke up. Felix offered him a sleepy smile, and Alex just about melted from how cute it was.

 

He needed to focus.

 

“Hey, the bus is here,” Alex said.

 

“Okay, thanks,” Felix said as he yawned. He gave Alex a strange look then, which caused a spike of anxiety to hit Alex. “Everything okay?” he asked. “The bond seems quieter now, but you look anxious.”

 

Fuck. Of course Felix would notice the change in the bond.

 

“I tried closing it a bit. I thought it might help you sleep better,” he lied.

 

“Oh! Well, I don’t know about my sleep, but I feel like I can hear myself think clearly for the first time in days, so that’s nice,” he said, clapping Alex on the back.

 

Could Felix hear Alex’s heart beating, because he sure felt like it was louder than a jet engine. He took a few more deep breaths, to try and calm himself. Somehow it was so much worse now that Felix was awake, and his stupid twinkly eyes were sparkling at him.

 

“Bus! We don’t want to miss the bus!” Alex almost shouted as he rushed to put some distance between them. He couldn’t put much in the way of physical distance thanks to the bond, but maybe if he created some emotional distance he could sort through his emotions without ruining everything.

 

Felix let out another yawn, and picked up their bag. He walked next to Alex as they hurried to the bus. Felix handed the driver their tickets as they got on, and they took a seat towards the middle. The bus was partially full, so the seat choices weren’t great, but they found two together. Alex wished they could sit apart from each other, but thought that might be rather suspicious of him.

 

The seats were not terribly spacious, and Felix went in first, resting his head against the window. Alex sat down next to him, and noticed right away that their arms were touching. Shit. This was going to be the longest trip of his life. Why did he have to figure his feelings out now? This wouldn’t have bothered him prior to that. Stupid fucking feelings. How dare they make him feel awkward and flustered. He crossed his arms, pulling them as far from Felix as he could.

 

Felix seemed to be too sleepy to notice Alex’s inner freak out, and was soon sleeping against the window. Alex breathed a sigh of relief. A sleeping Felix meant that he had time to himself, and that gave him the opportunity to figure out what he was going to do.

 

The bus pulled out, and Alex found himself sighing more and more. How was supposed to calm down when he knew that he was in love with Felix, and the man was right there, sitting next to him? He couldn’t even think clearly because he felt like all of his senses were tuned into Felix. He could hear his soft breathing, and see the way his chest would rise and fall with each breath. The scent of his deodorant and the sweat from walking filled his nose even. Everything was Felix, and it was making him lose his mind. He even knew Felix was dreaming thanks to the bond.

 

“Okay, you can do this,” he said under his breath. He just needed to remain calm, and push his feelings down until he was able to properly deal with them. Maybe if he concentrated on everything he didn’t like about Felix – like how mean he could be- he would be able to ignore it for a while! Yeah, Felix was capable of cruelty. That was a perfect aspect to think of. After all, hadn’t he tricked him into signing that contract? Sure, he destroyed it after, but doing it in the first place was wrong. Then again, they had been enemies still...would he have done any different if their positions were changed? There was also that time with the dishes – No. He was not thinking about that. Also, he had enjoyed that game, and had even thought about doing it again so he couldn’t really complain. Felix was also stubborn, but so was Alex. How was he supposed to criticize him for things, when Alex wasn’t even that upset about them? He let out a frustrated groan. Felix was just there, quietly sleeping, unaware of Alex panicking. It was so unfair.

 

Felix made a soft grumbling sound, and readjusted his head, not even opening his eyes, and went right back to sleep. Alex stared at Felix’s hand resting on his leg, and without thinking he slipped his own fingers along his. Felix’s skin was soft and smooth, and very cool to the touch. He often seemed to have cold hands. It was strange, but that little secret touch was making Alex giddy. He traced over Felix’s knuckles, and each of his joints. He had perfectly trimmed nails, Alex noted. Even his hands were nice. It was unjust of the universe to put so much good into one man.

 

Alex wished he knew how Felix felt. He got the impression that he was...fond of Alex, but what did that mean? How did people normally go about figuring it out? He supposed that he could try ‘wooing’ him. How did you woo another man? Alex hadn’t dated a lot and he sort of realized that his various partners had done a lot of the leg work when it came to the start of their relationships. What had he liked when they had done it?

 

Nico had brought him flowers at the shop where he worked, and asked him out after weeks of heavy flirting. Vee had invited him to a concert – she worked at a music store that he frequented at the time. Paris had offered him lunch while they were both in college, and then they had bugged Alex for his notes. Each of them had all had something in common with him...some basic interest. What did he and Felix have? Magic, he supposed. How could he possibly impress him with magic? Felix was so good at it, and Alex – though he had improved in leaps and bounds since spending time with Felix- was not nearly as impressive. Not to mention that he still didn’t have good control of his left arm. At least they had an actual date lined up, assuming they didn’t die first.

 

He didn’t want to wait until after everything was done to find out if Felix felt the same way. What if things went horribly wrong, and they actually did die? Could he be at peace if Felix never knew?

 

No. He couldn’t.

 

He had to tell Felix, but he also wanted it to be special. He didn’t want to just blurt it out on the bus, in front of strangers. He thought of what he could do, and wished that he had a spell book to look through for ideas. He pulled out a quarter, and let it slide over his fingers, a simple trick that anyone could do, and let the repetitive motion calm him. He wanted to give Felix something – something that represented them and Alex’s feelings. He thought back about all of their time together, from the start until now. There were several memories that stuck out, but one in particular was giving him an idea.

 

It had been several years ago at this point, and he and Felix had been trapped together in a supposedly unbreakable box. Felix had been there to steal a magical rose, and Alex had been there to try and stop him, and in their careless haste to stop each other, they had fallen into a trap. They had spent hours in the box, trying to get it open. It dampened magic, though it couldn’t block it out entirely, but it was enough to make Alex basically useless. He remembered how it had felt, like the walls were closing in, and Alex had started panicking. Felix had reached into his pocket, and pulled out the rose he had stolen, and handed it to Alex to hold.

 

The magic from the rose had tingled through him, and just like that he was transported out of the box and found himself in his apartment. Alex realized at that point that Felix could have left whenever he wanted, but he had stayed to help so Alex wouldn’t be trapped alone. It was the first time Alex had thought that maybe Felix wasn’t such a terrible person after all. Now he knew for sure that he wasn’t.

 

The rose let you instantly teleport, but could only take one person. Alex had teleported back to where the trap was, and just outside of it. He found the release, and Felix was freed.

 

“I knew you would come back,” Felix had said.

 

“Why didn’t you just teleport out and free me?” Alex had demanded.

 

“Because that would get me in trouble. Besides, I got to know you a bit better, and isn’t that more fun?” he’d said.

 

Felix didn’t take the rose after. He claimed Alex had earned it, fair and square and that fighting over it would be pointless now. Alex of course turned it into the authorities, but he left out Felix’s name, and lied, saying the person was wearing a mask, and that Alex had gotten the rose from him, but in releasing them from the box, the other person had used magic to escape. He didn’t know why he’d done that, but he felt like he owed him one.

 

Things had changed between them then. They were less hostile, and Felix would periodically send him tips when a competing group was planning something that would hurt people. It was the first time they had experienced a sort of trust between them.

 

Alex knew what he wanted to make now. He wasn’t good at conjuring, but he’d have to improve real fast to make his present. He cleared his mind, and drifted into their magic, letting it wrap around him. He wanted pennies for this – best to keep it simple and small. He pulled at the world around him, could feel the idea of pennies, the way they smelled, and looked and felt beneath his fingers. He pictured them forming in his hands. He gasped when he felt something solid in his palm, and opened his eyes. There, lying in his open hand, was a small pile of perfect, shiny pennies.

 

Alex wanted to jump for joy. It was his first time fully conjuring something without any help or guidance first. He didn’t count the flames because that was recreating something Felix had shown him how to do. He took the pennies, and smoothed his thumb over them, using magic to erase the pictures on them, until they were smooth pieces of metal. He stretched the metal out into even thinner pieces and started forming them into the shape he needed. He hadn’t used magic for crafting in a long time, however it came back to him quickly. He twisted them, and made bends and half folds, and combined them all until there, in his hand, was a perfect replica of what he remembered the rose looking like. He cast a small enchantment on it, and ran a finger over it. Now the petals closed, and when you touched it, the rose would bloom. It was perfect. All he needed now was the right time to give it to Felix.

 

The bus was pulling to a stop at the border, and Alex tucked the flower away. He woke Felix up, and tried not to blush when he smiled at him. They got off the bus, handed over their fake passports, and waited while they were all checked.

 

Once everyone was cleared to get back on the bus, they took their seats, and the bus started to drive again. It wouldn’t be too long now until they got to the bus depot. Felix was awake now that he’d napped, and Alex felt an irrational amount of nervousness about it.

 

“Did I snore?” Felix asked.

 

“No, you’re very quiet,” Alex assured him.

 

“Good,” he said. “So, what did you get up to while I slept?” he asked as he yawned.

 

Alex felt his heart jump into his throat, and had to stop for a moment to remember that Felix wasn’t actually accusing him of anything.

 

“Oh you know, stared out the window, practised some small magic,” Alex said. “Nothing fancy or anything,” he added.

 

“Good. We don’t want to draw too much attention to ourselves,” Felix said.

 

That was true, however, from what Alex had observed, half the bus was asleep and everyone else had their faces buried in their cell phones. Alex missed his cell phone. Both he and Felix had lost theirs in the fire. He’d have to get a new one when this was all done. Since he was thinking of it ways to communicate, he also reached into the bag, and sure enough, the journal was glowing again.

 

Felix noticed too, and snatched the book out of the bag before Alex even had a chance. He quickly read over it, and Alex watched as his brow furrowed, and his frown deepened. Had something bad happened?

 

“Does this seem cryptic to you?” Felix asked, handing the book over to Alex.

 

He looked over it, and it was a set of coordinates. He stared at the page, but there was nothing else, just a set of numbers. That didn’t seem good at all.

 

“Why would she write such a short message? You don’t think she’s in trouble, do you?” Alex asked.

 

“I hope not...maybe she was in a rush?” Felix suggested, but Alex could hear the not of uncertainty in his voice. Neither one of them liked this.

 

“Where do the coordinates lead to?” Alex asked. Maybe that would offer them some sort of clue.

 

Felix turned in his seat, and looked over it at the person sitting behind them.

 

“Hi!” he said.

 

The person blinked up at him for a moment and offered a tentative ‘hi’ back.

 

“My friend sent me some coordinates – would you mind finding the location on your phone? My battery died about an hour ago,” he said, throwing on his most charming smile.

 

“Uh, sure?” the person said, shrugging.

 

“Thanks a bunch,” Felix said as he read out the coordinates.

 

“It says it’s a night club in New York City – The Void?” they said.

 

“Could you tell me the address, please?” Felix asked.

 

Once Felix had the address, he sat back down, and exchanged a look with Alex.

 

“Alright, please tell me I’m not the only one thinking this is some sort of setup,” Felix said after a moment.

 

“Yeah, it smells like a trap. Someone must have stolen the journal,” Alex agreed.

 

“So what do we do? Do we walk in and hope for the best? We have no idea who sent that now, but I know it wasn’t Cecelia – that’s not her writing. I was hoping maybe I was wrong, but I know of The Void, and it is a place where a lot of unsavoury characters like to go to practice illegal magic, and get drunk or high or both. It’s got quite the reputation, and there is no way she would send us there,” Felix said.

 

“What if they have her?” Alex asked.

 

“I know...it’s a possibility. We have to go. I just wish we knew what we were walking into,” Felix said.

 

“On the plus side, we know it’s a set up, so we can prepare a bit this time,” Alex said.

 

Felix sat back, resting his head, and closing his eyes.

 

“I’m sorry,” Felix said.

 

“For what?” Alex asked.

 

“For all of this. For not being able to protect you properly,” he said.

 

Alex decided right then to put his feelings aside, and do what needed to be done. He grabbed Felix’s hand and gave it a squeeze. His awkwardness could wait.

 

“Then I guess I’m sorry too, for the exact same things,” Alex said, smiling at him.

 

“Love, you know it’s not the same,” Felix said.

 

“Why not? This is as much my fault as it is yours, and I'm tired of feeling guilty. So, either turn that frown upside down, and admit that we’re in this together - because of each other...or wallow I guess?” he said. “Personally, I prefer to see your smile,” Alex told him.

 

A small twitch of Felix’s lips told him that he’d won this round. Felix shook his head, but he was smiling now. He was glad that if nothing else, that at least they were sort of friends now.

 

Alex realized then that maybe he didn’t need to confess to Felix right away. After all, they were good together now, weren’t they? What if he upset the balance? He didn’t want to risk ruining what they had in the hope for more. The rose sat heavy in his pocket. He’d find the right moment to give it to him, but it didn’t have to be some big thing, right? It didn’t have to mean anything...at all. Just a token of their friendship.

 

“Everything alright, love?” Felix asked. Alex knew he was the one frowning now, so he forced a smile onto his face.

 

“Never better,” Alex lied.

 

 


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix takes Alex somewhere special

They got off at the bus depot, and bought tickets to New York City. Alex spent the rest of the trip trying to keep up with whatever Felix was talking about, while simultaneously worrying about whether or not he should give Felix the rose. It probably wasn’t the best time to confess your feelings to someone while you were on your way to certain doom. What if it ended up being a distraction? That could be dangerous. He’d wait until after, once they were safe.

 

The bus arrived in New York City, and Alex realized that he had never been to a true Big City before, despite living in a city himself – it was nothing like New York City. There were so many people, and smells, and sounds. There were lights, and towering buildings, and so much traffic. He felt instantly lost. A man bumped into him as he rushed by, and Alex didn’t even know what to say or do – it was like culture shock.

 

“Come on, love. Let’s get out of the street,” Felix said, taking him by the hand.

 

Alex clung to Felix as he wove them through the bustling streets. They walked several blocks, and Alex could feel his anxiety getting worse by the second. Felix finally turned down a small alley way and Alex felt like he would collapse. It was like a small pocket of peace, a reprieve from the madness, and hopefully enough to keep him going.

 

“I’m just going to need a moment,” Felix said.

 

At first Alex thought he mean he needed a moment to gather himself. He turned to tell him to take his time, when he saw that he was drawing on a brick wall with a piece of white chalk.

 

“What are you doing?” Alex asked.

 

“Making a door to a hidden place,” Felix said as he finished drawing a large rectangle. “There!”

 

He made a series of complex hand gestures, while chanting an incantation. A moment later the rectangle glowed, and a real door appeared. It looked old and was made of polished wood. Felix grinned at him, and then pushed the door open. Alex walked through, and let out a gasp of surprise. It opened into a large room, floor to ceiling books, and a desk, and on the far wall was a display of magical artifacts.

 

“Woah,” Alex whispered. Felix shut the door, and the noise of the world was completely shut out – like it didn’t even exist.

 

“I would have brought you here sooner, but I can only access it from three places in the whole world – New York City, London, and Hong Kong,” Felix said. “I wasn’t even sure if this door would still work, it’s been so long since I last used it,” he added.

 

“What is this place?” Alex asked, unable to stop staring.

 

“It’s a sanctuary of sorts. It’s hidden, a space between spaces,” he said. “It took me years to build – it’s very complex magic, which is why it has so few doors. I wish I had thought to come here during that first big jump – we would have been quite safe here,” he said.

 

“This is incredible,” Alex said. There was so much to look at and it all seemed amazing. He went up to one book case, and as he got closer the space seemed to expand, and there were rows upon rows of more books.

 

“I’ve never actually brought anyone here before,” Felix said quietly.

 

Alex whirled around to look at him, and could feel himself blushing. Felix was telling the truth – Alex could feel that. It was somewhat humbling to know that he would show this to him, even if this was an emergency situation. He turned away to hide his blush, and refrained from saying anything in fear of saying too much. He wandered in silence for a while, taking it all in.

 

“Am I allowed to touch?” Alex asked after a minute or so had passed. He turned back to the books, his fingers itching to pull one out and read it.

 

“Of course!” Felix said, laughing. “There’s some books on battle magic towards the back if you want,” he added, pointing down an aisle.

 

“Ooh, battle magic,” Alex murmured, already heading towards it.

 

The aisles were well organized, he noted, with labels and symbols indicating what was in each row. Alex easily found the row with battle magic, and started to peruse the various titles.

 

“‘Blood Magic – Exsanguination and You’, ‘Conquering Your Enemies – Three Steps to World Domination’, ‘Ten Ways to Dismember’? The fuck -” Alex said, as he read the titles aloud. He went further in, and there was a small book on the bottom shelf, sticking out slightly. It was almost humming, and before he could think better of it, Alex reached for it, and pulled it out.

 

“Wild Magic – A Course in Destruction and Control’,” he read.

 

He felt a chill run down his spine, and without a second thought, he flipped the book open. It was an old book, filled with hand written spells, and illustrations. The book opened up towards the last half, and Alex’s breath caught in his throat. There was a picture of a beautiful woman, with hair like sunshine, and pointed ears, and large glassy eyes. She had wings that seemed to shimmer in the light. She was bathed in flame. She was just like Felix was when he had killed Pike. Alex scanned the page for more information, flipping over to the next page when none was forthcoming.

 

The back of the page was a spell called Death’s Halo. It talked about the wild fire, the same magic that Alex and Felix had both experienced. It couldn’t be fully controlled, even with a spell it seemed, but it could be directed. Alex looked to the next page, and it was more spells. A few pages in, and there was a healing spell of sorts – it used the flames to cauterize wounds and to burn out disease.

 

Did Felix know he had this book? Alex closed it, and raced back to the main area. Felix had a sword, and was slicing through the air with practised strokes. Alex stopped short so he wouldn’t get cut.

 

“What do you have there?” Felix asked, sliding the sword back into it’s sheath in one smooth motion.

 

“You need to see this,” Alex said, excitement bubbling over. He flipped the book back open to the picture, and handed it to Felix. He watched as an array of emotions passed over his face, from confusion, to disbelief, to keen interest.

 

“Where did you find this?” Felix asked.

 

“It was in the battle magic section. It was sticking out a bit, almost humming, and I just sort of grabbed it,” Alex explained.

 

“I could tell you the name of every book in this place – and I know that this isn’t one that I put there,” Felix said. “I’ve never seen it before.”

 

“Then how did it get here?” Alex asked, starring at the book with new found suspicion.

 

“That’s the mystery, isn’t it? Maybe someone or something thought I ought to have it,” Felix said. “We should study this, but for now, I want a shower, a change of clothes, and to find out who sent us that message in the journal,” he said, putting the book down on the desk.

 

“Need someone to wash your back?” Alex asked. He was glad Felix wasn’t facing him just then, or he might have seen him slap a hand over his mouth. What the fuck was wrong with him? That was a terrible idea!

 

“I’d like that,” Felix said.

 

Fuck. Alex could already feel his body heating up. Felix had walked to the door to the washroom, and turned back to look at him. Either he hadn’t noticed Alex’s freak out or, as was more likely, he was choosing to politely ignore it.

 

“Are you coming, darling?” Felix asked.

 

Alex nodded, even as his blush took over his body. He could feel himself shaking, and jerked one foot forward, and then the other, following Felix into the washroom. Felix started to undress, and Alex didn’t know where to look now. It wasn’t like this was the first time they had been naked together. There was no real reason to be embarrassed. Alex started to undress too, but when he went to unzip his jacket, it got stuck. He tugged and tugged, but it wouldn’t budge.

 

“Need some help with that?” Felix asked. He was down to his underwear now, and Alex swallowed as his body heated up.

 

“Um, sure,” he said, holding his arms out of the way. Felix stepped into his space, and with a gentle tug freed the zipper. He slid the jacket off of Alex’s shoulders, his fingers lightly skimming across them.

 

“Would you like any more help?” Felix asked.

 

Alex didn’t know what to say to that. He was torn between wanting to be as close as he could be with Felix, and the fear of reliving his trauma. He took a deep breath, and nodded. He trusted Felix, and firmly believed that he wouldn’t hurt him.

 

Felix leaned in, and started lifting Alex’s shirt off.

 

“Let me know if you need me to stop, okay?” Felix said, pressing the words against his ear with a kiss. Alex shivered, and nodded.

 

Felix removed each piece of clothing, slowly, and with a small look to make sure Alex was still alright. Alex would nod each time, and Felix would smile, and plant a small kiss to his face. It was so slow, and almost it’s own sort of torture. By the time Alex was naked, he was shaking with want. It both terrified and excited him.

 

Felix turned on the shower, and once the water was warm enough, climbed in, offering Alex a hand. Alex stepped into the shower, the hot spray of water easing his tight muscles, and settling the fluttering in his stomach. Felix grabbed some soap, and lathered up his hands. Alex leaned into him, as he started to wash Alex’s shoulders, and arms, massaging the soap into him. It felt incredible, and intimate in a way that was easy. He was still anxious though, but every time he’d start to tense up, Felix would slow down, and give him a moment to just breathe, and work through the anxiety.

 

Alex’s body was teetering on the edge between fear and arousal. Felix turned him around, so they were facing each other. It was strange, but somehow the knowledge that he loved Felix made everything feel different and more intense. His hands shook as he placed them on Felix’s chest. Alex held his breath for a moment, the fear there, the want there, and he leapt off the edge. He pressed his lips against Felix’s and his mouth opened in surprise. Alex gave his lower lip a tentative lick, and Felix let out a tiny, desperate moan but otherwise remained still.

 

Alex let his hands wander over Felix’s skin, careful not to hurt him with the wooden one. He eased himself closer to Felix’s body, as arousal drowned out the fear for a moment. He gasped when their hard cocks slid against each other. He pulled Felix and himself out of the spray a bit, and just basked in the feeling of kissing Felix, and their wet skin sliding against each other. It was kind of perfect.

 

“Can I touch you?” Felix asked, pulling away from the kiss.

 

Alex felt himself hesitate.

 

“I’m scared,” Alex admitted. “I was hurt so badly, and I’m worried the memories will come,” he said. He was still shaking, and even though he desperately wanted to touch Felix and for Felix to be able to touch him, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to.

 

“Do you want to stop?” Felix asked.

 

“No,” Alex said, shaking his head when his voice cracked. He was crying, and he didn’t know why. He didn’t want to need to stop, he didn’t want that fear, and disgust to be inside him. Felix pulled him into a hug, and Alex rested his head on his shoulder, and let himself feel. When they’d had their bath together he had been so numb, and now it was like everything was coming out.

 

Alex was angry – angry that Pike had made being intimate difficult. He was angry that he was crying, and that he was scared. He could feel the memories trying to surface, of Pike hurting him, forcing him to cum, of the way his body had reacted. Alex’s stomach turned. He didn’t mean to but he was digging his fingers into Felix’s skin, screaming out his pain. Felix held him through it, never complaining.

 

When Alex finally took a breath again, he felt dizzy and empty, and scared. He looked up at Felix, hoping that he wasn’t angry. Felix just gave him a soft smile, and pressed a kiss to his forehead as he pet Alex’s hair.

 

“Do you need some time to yourself?” Felix asked, his voice low and gentle.

 

Alex shook his head, and clung even harder to Felix so he couldn’t leave.

 

“You doing okay there?” Felix asked. “Do you want to talk about it?”

 

Did he? What would he say?

 

“I’m embarrassed,” Alex admitted.

 

“What? Why?” Felix asked.

 

“Because I want to be with you so badly, and my brain won’t let me,” Alex said. “It shouldn’t be that hard -”

 

Felix didn’t let him finish. He pulled back just enough to look Alex in the eye, while still holding him.

 

“You have _nothing_ to be embarrassed or ashamed of. You were hurt, and that is _not_ your fault. You are doing remarkably well, and I’m honestly surprised that you are able to be here with me at all. You have been incredibly strong, and brave, and I need you to know that you don’t have to be alright around me. You can be angry, and scared, and anything else. You don’t have to hold it together in front of me. If you need to cry, or scream, or break things, or panic, or whatever you need, then by the gods, you do that, and don’t hold back. I will be here to help you weather the storm,” Felix said. He was so sincere, so honest, and Alex could feel how much he meant those words.

 

“What about you?” Alex asked, sniffling, tears streaming down his face. “You were hurt too! You can be all those things too, you know,” he insisted.

 

“I know I can. I trust you with my very soul, love. Right now though, what I need most in this world is to make sure that _you_ are okay. The most pain I suffered during those terrible days was knowing that you were hurt and I couldn’t help. I know I won’t always be able to help you, but for right here, and right now, I’d like to try,” Felix said.

 

Alex buried his face against Felix’s neck, and breathed in his scent, letting it calm him. He was safe, and Felix had him, and would be there for him. Somehow, he felt like that might be enough, at least for now. He realized that therapy was probably in order once they were safe again. Still, the thought of Felix being there for him, and supporting him made him feel at peace.

 

“Wanna finish washing?” Alex asked. “I don’t think I can do more than that right now,” he said.

 

“That’s perfectly alright, darling. We’ll take our time, and we’ll get there together. There’s no rush,” Felix assured him.

 

They finished washing, and Alex found that he rather liked the quiet intimacy of bathing together. They got out, and dried off, and Felix got some clothes for them. Alex had another soft grey shirt, and he found himself petting the material. It felt so nice. Felix started laughing when he noticed Alex rubbing his face on the shirt.

 

“You’re adorable,” Felix said, teasing. His eyes were doing the twinkling thing again, and Alex found himself blushing as his heart fluttered in his chest. He couldn’t handle Felix looking at him like that.

 

“Your face is adorable,” Alex grumbled under his breath. It was meant to be a sort of insult, but it came out a little too fond. He was being far too transparent with his feelings. He found himself fiddling with the collar, rubbing his fingers over it. The gesture was becoming a bit of a nervous habit, and he forced his hands back to his sides. “So, what’s the plan?” Alex asked, changing the subject.

 

“The plan is that we go to The Void, and get some answers. I have something that might helps us this time however,” Felix said as he headed back into the main room. He went to the wall covered in magical artifacts, and pulled on a dagger. The wall shuddered and then opened up a small hole. Inside was a glowing orb that fit into Felix’s palm.

 

“What is that?” Alex asked. He was towelling his hair, trying to get the moisture out. He really needed to learn some better grooming spells.

 

“Do you remember that rose that could teleport people?” Felix asked.

 

Alex’s heart started to race – did he know about the gift?

 

“Uh, yeah I remember,” Alex said, coughing to hide his spluttering.

 

“Well, I wanted to try making something similar, so I made this orb. It can teleport up to three people, but only once, and in one direction, and it needs to recharge for several days - but it isn’t limited in how far it can go,” Felix said, excitement clear on his face as he held the orb up for Alex to see.

 

“Wow – that’s some impressive magic,” Alex said. He thought of the rose he had made, and felt the strong urge to destroy it. Of course Felix wouldn’t be impressed by that – it was such minor magic in comparison.

 

“So, I figure we can bring it with us, we stay nice and close, and if things go poorly, we get the fuck out of there, and this time without me almost dying,” Felix said.

 

“Sounds like a good plan,” Alex told him.

 

Felix put the orb inside his jacket, and then turned to look at Alex. He frowned. Alex looked down at himself, and wondered if maybe he had something on his face.

 

“What?” Alex asked when he couldn’t stand it anymore.

 

“It occurs to me that as much as I want you to be comfortable, you’re going to stick out like a sore thumb if we go to The Void. It’s a night club after all. Not to worry. I’m sure I can find you something suitable to wear,” Felix said. The way he was smirking at Alex was not making him feel better.

 

Felix waved his hands, and Alex felt the magic tingling over his skin as his clothing changed from a comfortable shirt, to something skin tight, and black, and...see through. His soft pants were replaced with skin tight denim with rips up the front of the legs, and his comfy shoes were now boots with a slight heel. The collar was unchanged.

 

“Really?” Alex asked, grimacing at the tightness of his clothes.

 

“You look hot. Now, let’s go find out who wants to see us so badly,” Felix said.

 


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Felix go to The Void and find out a few things

Alex didn’t want to leave the sanctuary of Felix’s hidden space, but he knew they would have to face whoever wanted to see them eventually, and it was probably better to go now when they were at least aware that they were walking into a trap. He was shaking, just standing there. Felix opened the door for them and Alex back outside, and it was like the world had started up again, the quiet reprieve over. All the noise and lights and people came flooding into his awareness, and it was only Felix’s hand on his back that kept him calm as it threatened to overwhelm him.

 

“This way,” Felix said, leading them out into the chaos as he took Alex by the hand.

 

They walked for several blocks, and Alex tried to just let the world zip past him without looking too close at anything or anyone. He was feeling very insecure, and like people were staring at him because of his arm, or his clothes, or more likely both. He did his best to ignore it, and just held on to Felix.

 

There was a tingle of magic in the air as they got closer to The Void, and Alex knew when they had arrived. The air almost buzzed with energy, and it was making him feel twitchy. Felix pulled them into another alleyway, and there was a blank, metal door, easily overlooked, that he knocked on -three knocks and a tap.

 

“Special entrance for magic users,” Felix explained when Alex gave him a questioning look.

 

A slit in the door opened, and three glowing eyes peered out at them, each blinking individually. There was a hissing sound, and then the door slid open, and Felix pulled them inside. There was no one on the other side of the door, and it opened into a sort of lobby.

 

“The club is through there,” Felix said, nodding at a set of double doors. Alex peered at them, wondering why it was so quiet. Didn’t they play music? If it weren’t for the buzzing of magic he would have thought there was nothing there.

 

“Shouldn’t it be louder?” he asked.

 

“They have a million spells on this place, and one of them keeps the lobby quiet when the doors are closed,” Felix explained.

 

“Huh,” Alex said. He supposed that explained why it was quiet, and why the place was almost vibrating with magic. That was a lot of spells.

 

“Welcome to The Void,” a soft, feminine voice said without inflection.

 

They both whirled around, caught off guard by the sudden appearance of a petite woman dressed in white robes. She was standing there with her hands pressed together in front of her. She gave a bow to them, and then stood back up.

 

“The Lady will see you now,” she said. She spoke in a very monotone way that was rather eerie.

 

Felix swore, and Alex turned to look at him. He was paler than usual, and was wearing a displeased scowl. Whoever this Lady was, it had Felix on edge.

 

“What’s wrong?” Alex whispered.

 

“The Lady is the information broker,” Felix said.

 

“Wait...but we wanted to see her. Why is this bad?” Alex asked.

 

“Because somehow she found out about us coming here while we were still in Canada. Cecelia wouldn’t have told anyone. Which means we’ve been followed for a while...there aren’t too many people capable of that. I’ve been casting anti-detection spells for several days now...they would have to be quite powerful to get through that,” he said. “This is not good.”

 

The woman led them through a set of double doors, and up a long flight of stairs. Alex contemplated Felix’s words, and felt a growing knot of dread in his stomach. What were they walking into? Was someone controlling The Lady, or was she one of the people after them? At the top of the stairs was a blank wall, and he watched as the woman wove magic to open it, the wall glowing a golden hue before sliding open.

 

As they walked in, Alex’s mouth dropped open in awe. The space was huge, with high, vaulted ceilings made of glass that let in the early night sky, with huge chandeliers lighting the room. The walls were all glimmering white, and there were several people standing at attention, all dressed in white. Some had armour, and weapons, while others were sitting, streams of magic connecting them together. Then, in the middle of the room, on a raised dais, sitting on a throne was a woman dressed in a long flowing gown made of white material, that seemed to shimmer beneath the grand chandeliers. She smiled at them, and beckoned them closer.

 

They followed the woman who had led them in until they were standing before her. Felix bowed, and Alex did the same. He felt nervous. There was something odd about that place, and it was making him uncomfortable. Maybe it was just how white everything was.

 

“Welcome to The Void,” she said, her voice the only sound in the room. She wasn’t speaking loud and yet it seemed to echo inside Alex’s mind.

 

Felix was talking to her, but Alex couldn’t seem to hear him. There was a soft voice in the back of his mind, and he found himself drifting towards it.

 

_What is that you seek?_

 

Alex realized it was The Lady’s voice. He startled, looking around. Felix was still talking, and she was talking back. How was he able to hear her?

 

_What is it that you seek?_

 

The question came again.

 

_The curse...we should break it..._

 

He thought the words back. He realized it wasn’t a question but there was so much on his mind that it was hard to focus on just one thing.

 

_You need to see The Matriarch. She will help you find the answer you seek._

 

Her voice seemed to burn the thought into him, and he somehow knew that he wouldn’t forget it until he had seen The Matriarch – whoever that was.

 

_I have nothing to give you..._

 

He thought the words, and he could feel her amusement.

 

_I will collect one day. For now it pleases me to thwart the efforts of those who would try to control me._

 

What did that mean? Who was trying to control her?

 

As if called by his thoughts, a door behind the throne opened, and a set of guards marched out. Behind them was a staunch looking man, with a cold face, and a stiff walk. He was dressed in dark robes that Alex recognized as ones belonging to the High Councillor – leader of The Council.

 

“Councillor Aldred,” Felix said, and Alex could feel the ice in his tone. “Here I thought you had thrown me to the wolves, but it turns out you were one of them all along,” he grit out.

 

Felix was smiling, but there was nothing kind about it. Alex could feel it – their magic was crackling in the air. Felix had every intention of fighting this man. Alex didn’t know what he should do, but he was pretty sure leaving was in their best interest.

 

“Did you think I would allow wild Fae magic to wander freely?” he asked.

 

Alex felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped on him. So that was why he had chased them? How long had he known about it?

 

“Did you send Pike after us?” Alex asked, unable to stop himself.

 

“What’s this? You still haven’t broken your curse with this brat?” Aldred asked.

 

“His name is Alex, and answer the question,” Felix growled, standing closer to Alex in support and protection.

 

“I didn’t realize that you commanded me now, boy,” Aldred said, emphasizing the last word like an insult.

 

“In case you’ve forgotten, I’m no longer under your rule,” Felix snapped back.

 

Alex looked at Felix, and he could feel the tension in the air, so thick it was almost choking him.

 

“To answer you question earlier,” The Lady said. “Pike was sent by someone else,” she told them. She looked irritated, and Alex suddenly understood. The Council was harassing her, and trying to control her. He had no doubt they would pay for that.

 

So, they were being hunted by someone besides Aldred. Wonderful.

 

“Laudy was a fool to have let you go. You would have been safe with us. Fear not, she has been severely reprimanded for her oversight,” Aldred said, cutting back into the conversation.

 

Laudy? Who was that?

 

“What did you do to The Duchess?” Felix ground out. Alex could feel Felix’s control slipping. He knew Felix and her had been close, and if Aldred had hurt her, things were going to get ugly really fast.

 

“Demoted her for one. She will be allowed to resume her new place within The Council’s hierarchy once she has been...re-educated,” he said.

 

Alex knew by the way he said those words that ‘re-educated’ probably meant tortured until she complied. Shit. He didn’t like her, but he hadn’t wanted anything bad to happen to her either. Felix was shaking next to him, and he felt it before he saw it – the flames engulfing his hands and spreading up his arms. Alex swore as he looked for an exit.

 

“See, this is why I had to find you,” Aldred said, gesturing to Felix’s flames. “You’re out of control, and this gnat,” he added, glaring at Alex. “Has made you even weaker. Come back to me, and we can forget this whole mishap even happened,” he said.

 

“You know we can’t be separated because of the curse, don’t you?” Felix asked. “And even if we could, I’d still say no. You only wanted me as a part of your collection of rare magic. I can see that now,” Felix spat.

 

“Hmm, well, if you won’t _listen_ to reason then I will just have to show you the error of your ways” Alderd growled, and he started to reach for Alex. Felix grabbed Aldred’s arm, catching it before it could come close to Alex, and Aldred screamed as flames tore at his flesh.

 

Alex could feel the madness of the flames taking over Felix. He needed to get them out before he killed everyone.

 

“Thanks for the help! I’ll pay you back later!” Alex yelled to The Lady. She smiled, and nodded at him. Alex tackled Felix, tearing him away from Aldred, and grabbed the orb. He didn’t know where to go, or how to get there, but he thought the only words his mind could think of – The Matriarch. They orb sucked them out of the room, and whisked them away. The last thing he heard was Aldred screaming vengeance.

 

They landed with a thud, the orb dropping them from the air, and then falling on top of them, useless now until it recharged. Felix was still burning, and Alex could feel his mind panicking as he slipped deeper into the wild magic.

 

Alex didn’t know what to do, or how to stop him, so he did what he always did. He took a deep breath, and fell into the chaos of their shared space. Felix was there, and he was burning, the magic consuming him. Alex ran to him, and he could feel their combined magic trying to stop him, to protect him. He pushed against it, fighting his instincts. Felix needed him, and he wasn’t going to let him be devoured.

 

Felix was screaming, his soul alight with wild magic. Alex reached for him, and could feel the magic trying to burn him, to stop him from interfering.

 

“You can’t have him!” Alex screamed. He threw himself at Felix, and held him. Alex pulled their magic around him, like a shield but knew it wouldn’t last long. Alex could see the source of the wild magic, sitting in Felix’s heart, and Alex reached for it. It burned through his shields, and started to burn him too. He cried out in pain, but refused to let go. He thought of Felix, of his magic, the cold, and dark, and Alex pulled on that, calling it to him.

 

It wrapped around the wild magic, ice and fire battling for dominance. Alex was in agonizing pain, but he couldn’t stop or Felix would lose himself. He screamed Felix’s name, calling for him to come back. He held the fire, but the ice wasn’t cutting it this time. Maybe Alex wasn’t in tune with it enough, but the fire was slicing right through it.

 

He needed another idea. Alex yelled, and tore at the flames, pulling it into two halves. Felix screamed, his body arching as Alex finally pulled some free. He took the flame, and pressed it to his own chest, letting it wrap around his heart.

 

The magic was strong, and Alex fell to his knees as the magic fought him for control. Alex stared at Felix, watched as his body shook, and fell too. He could see all the walls separating them, and he tore them down, screaming, and crying as he felt them merge even more. Their hearts beat as one, and Alex touched Felix’s soul, a bright light shining stronger than even the wild Fae flames.

 

“Come back to me!” he screamed at Felix.

 

He felt it – a shift in Felix’s being as he came back to himself. Felix gasped and cried out as the pain hit him. He looked over at Alex and grabbed him, pulling them together. The wild magic snapped between their hearts. Together they could control it. Together they could exist. Alex closed his eyes and screamed as the magic burned them, until he felt like they were almost one being.

 

The burning suddenly stopped, and he opened his eyes, awake in the real world. Felix was there, lying on the ground, groaning as he opened his own eyes. Alex was lying next to him, panting as he tried to catch his breath. They were alive. They had done it! The Fae magic was like a heart beat in their chests now, wild still, but now in harmony with them.

 

“Are you alright?” Alex asked as he lay his head on Felix’s chest. He listened to his heart hammering away in his chest and could almost feel the warmth of the flames. He looked down at him to make sure he wasn’t hurt, when he saw his prosthetic arm. It had gotten quite burned. Shit.

 

“Want me to fix that?” Felix asked, his voice rough as he gently traced over what was left of Alex’s wooden arm.

 

Alex wanted to cry.

 

“I thought I had lost you,” Alex said, his voice cracking.

 

“Looks like you saved me again. What would I do with you, I wonder?” Felix said, brushing a lock of Alex’s hair behind his ear.

 

Alex didn’t even want to contemplate that. The thought alone was too terrible.

 

“You didn’t answer my question,” Alex said.

 

“I’m okay. A little shaken, and sore, but very much alive,” Felix said, as he pet Alex’s hair. “I don’t know what you did, but you truly are a remarkable being,” he said, kissing Alex’s forehead. “Now, shall we fix that arm of yours?” he asked.

 

Alex blushed and held it out for Felix, nodding at him to let him know it was okay to touch. Felix rubbed his hands over the wood, and Alex gasped when he felt the roots twitching, and the wood growing back, sprouting new leaves, and twisting into a branch, and then into a hand again. When Felix pulled his hands away, Alex bent his new fingers, and smiled.

 

“I didn’t know it could do that,” Alex said.

 

“It’s because it’s alive. So long as the roots exist, you can regrow this arm,” Felix said. He paused for a moment, looking around. “So, darling, I have a question for you,” he continued.

 

“And what would that be?” Alex asked.

 

“Where are we exactly? I don’t think I’ve ever been here,” Felix said.

 

Alex blinked as he sat up, and looked around too. That was a good question. He had only thought of The Matriarch. He had no idea where the orb had taken them. They were in a forest, though very different from the one in Canada. It was also morning instead of night. They must have gone quite far again.

 

“Well, that is a great question. One I would be happy to answer even, if I actually knew,” Alex confessed.

 

“You don’t know where you sent us?” Felix asked.

 

“The Lady said I needed to speak to The Matriarch, and so I thought about that when we escaped...so no, I don’t know where the orb has taken us,” Alex said, feeling embarrassed.

 

“Wait, when did you talk to The Lady?” Felix asked.

 

“I don’t know how to explain it other than it was like she was talking directly to my mind. It was weird. I asked about the curse, and she said I would find my answer with The Matriarch,” Alex explained.

 

“The Matriarch...I wonder if she meant -” Felix started to say when a loud rumble made them both jump. “Yeah, I think she meant the dragon,” Felix said, sighing.

 

“Dragon? As in an actual, living, fire breathing dragon?” Alex asked, his voice squeaking with excitment. Dragons weren’t real were they? That was crazy, right?

 

“I think we might be in China, and yeah, a real dragon – though it’s unlikely that she breathes fire. There are several ancient beings that gave the gift of magic to mortals, and The Matriarch is believed to be one of them – though I was rather hoping she meant someone else,” Felix explained as he looked around. There were only trees and a lake around them. “It is believed that she is immortal, and has power over time itself, and can also control the weather. No one even knows where these beings came from...how the hell did we end up here?” he whispered as he stood and turned in circles.

 

“Should we leave?” Alex asked.

 

“I don’t know,” Felix admitted.

 

There was another rumble, and Alex and Felix turned towards the lake. There were bubbles on the surface of the water, that gave way as two long antlers popped out of the lake, followed by a long, elegant head, and snout covered in shimmering scales. Out of the depths of the lake came The Matriarch, sparkling in the early morning sunlight, huge and fearsome as she was majestic. Alex was glued in place, and couldn’t look away, even as water sprayed him. She was staring down at them, her eyes boring into them. Alex could feel an inquisitive touch against his mind, and realized that it was her, communicating with him.

 

Time seemed to slow down, until it stopped altogether. The birds fell silent, and Alex looked over and saw that Felix was still. He was alone, with The Matriarch. Right, she could stop time. He didn’t know what to do. He bowed before her, and felt a tickle of amusement in his mind. He could feel the raw energy that was her, her magic, her being, her very soul even. It was so bright, and calm. He didn’t know why, but it made him cry. He had been through so much, and it felt like she could see his soul, and there was no judgment there. He wiped at his eyes, and smiled. He almost felt like something in him had been healed just by being near her.

 

He didn’t know what he wanted to ask – should they break the curse or did Felix love him or would they survive or who was after them. There were a million thoughts and feelings flowing through him, and he felt lost in them.

 

“I don’t know what to do,” he admitted. “I’m just so scared,” he said, his voice small.

 

She seemed to nod at him, a touch of approval filling him, and then with a rush, he felt the ground crumble beneath him as he fell into darkness. He screamed, reaching out for someone – anyone – to save him. He closed his eyes, and waited for impact.

 

 

 

 


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex does some soul searching

Alex yawned, and stretched. It was the day of the big arrest. They had gotten a tip that The Council was going to be stealing some goods, and the White Witches were going to catch them this time. He rolled out of bed, excitement running through him, and watered his plants, and then got dressed in his robes. Stevenson would be picking him up soon, and he wanted to be ready.

 

He made some coffee, and poured himself a cup, as he wandered his apartment. He went to scratch his neck, and froze. There was something metallic around his neck. He raced to the bathroom, and flicked on the light, and his reflection showed a shiny, silver collar.

 

“What the fuck?” he said aloud, tugging at it. The damn thing wouldn’t budge. He tried a few unlocking spells, but they were all repelled easily. Shit. What was he going to do?

 

He tugged his shirt’s collar up, and buttoned it to the top, and grabbed a tie. He only had two of them, and opted for the plain black one. He tied it, and slid it as high as it would go so it would hide the metal collar showing through his white shirt. The doorbell rang, and Alex jumped.

 

“Du Pont, get your ass out here. We’re gonna be late!” Stevenson yelled through the door.

 

Alex looked at his watch, and swore. Stevenson was right – they were a couple minutes late. He grabbed his wallet and keys, and ran out the door.

 

“Sorry,” he said as he locked the door behind him.

 

“What’s with the tie? You going to a funeral later or something?” Stevenson asked. “Or are you just that excited for your first field day?”

 

“Huh? Oh! Ha ha, yeah, the funeral for The Council that we’ll be holding after we bust them,” Alex said, laughing. “And I’m excited too.”

 

“Well, in that case, we had better run, or we’ll miss all the action!” Stevenson said, racing Alex down the stairs, and out of the apartment building.

 

They got into Stevenson’s car, and he turned on the radio. A song came on, and Alex slammed the dial to turn it off, a wave of nausea hitting him full force. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he had heard that song before – hummed by some faceless stranger. He rubbed at his left arm, a sudden pain he couldn’t explain slicing across it.

 

“Dude, what the hell? I like that song,” Stevenson said.

 

Alex didn’t know why, but the song was upsetting him. He didn’t have a good explanation.

 

“Sorry, I just really hate that song,” Alex said, hoping the excuse would be enough.

 

“Weirdo,” Stevenson said, shaking his head. He was kind enough not to turn it back on though.

 

They rode in silence, and arrived to the shipping yard just as the head of the White Witches arrived.

 

“Right on time,” Stevenson said, as he pulled into the parking lot. There were a few other witches milling about as they got out of the car. “Now, remember, it’s your first field job, so don’t try to be a hero, alright. That shit gets people killed,” he warned.

 

Alex nodded. As they walked over to the others, he had the strangest sense of deja vu. Everywhere he looked, it was like he could see what was going to happen. He wasn’t psychic was he? He was lost in thought when he realized that everything was about to go to shit if his mind was right. He pushed past Stevenson, and raced towards the group to warn them, but it was too late. A giant wall of flame erupted, blocking half of them off... Then there would be a bunch of people coming around the corner – they were there casting spells already. Alex felt like he was in some sort of nightmare where he knew the ending but he couldn’t remember it clearly so he just had to watch on in horror.

 

Everyone was fighting someone, even Stevenson who was going toe to toe with a Council member who was shooting shards of ice at him. This was a distraction though. Alex didn’t know how he knew that, only that it felt true. He had to get to the shipping container. He also needed back up, but half the White Witches were on the ground, unconscious or possibly dead, and the other half were fighting for their lives – which left Alex as the only member left to stop...Felix. Who was Felix? Why did he have that name in his mind? Had this already happened?

 

Alex ran into the rows upon rows of shipping containers, and headed for where he knew the one he was looking for would be – another mystery piece of information it seemed. Someone was closing the door on it and Alex dashed forward, and yanked it open, only to be met by a rather surprised looking man. Felix Aberdeen. That was his name.

 

“I’m surprised there’s only one of you, and that you got here so fast,” Felix said.

 

Alex didn’t know why he did it, but he shoved Felix into the shipping container, followed him in, and locked the door behind them.

 

“Now this is even more unexpected,” Felix said. “And here I thought none of you were stupid enough to lock yourself into a room with me. You must new,” he said, letting out a laugh.

 

“Felix Aberdeen,” Alex said.

 

Felix stopped laughing and narrowed his eyes at Alex.

 

“I must say, you have me at a disadvantage – I don’t know who you are,” Felix said. “How do yo know my name?” he asked. “I don’t usually use my last one.”

 

“I don’t know. I’m Alex Du Pont, but I don’t remember meeting you...only that I’ve seen this entire day before. You were going to sit down and drink a cup of tea while you waited – you’re dramatic like that,” Alex said. “I don’t know how I know that either, but I do.”

 

“Remarkable. Are you psychic?” Felix asked.

 

“Not that I’m aware of,” Alex said. He shoved his hands into his robe’s pockets, and felt a large piece of paper. He pulled it out, and it was an envelope. How had that gotten there?

 

“What’s that?” Felix asked.

 

“I don’t know...,” Alex admitted.

 

“You should open it then – I love surprises,” Felix told him, wiggling his eyebrows. He conjured a chair and sat down, gesturing at Alex for him to continue.

 

Alex didn’t know why, but he opened the envelope. Inside was a sheet of paper that started “Cecelia, I fucked up”. Alex didn’t know a Cecelia so he kept reading. It was a letter, obviously. It talked about a White Witch, and someone’s apartment being burned down. He read further and got to a part that had him wondering if he had woken up in some alternate universe. It read:

 

_Cecelia, I have a confession. You know Alex- White Witch Alex? So we may have accidentally bound ourselves together in a magical ritual gone wrong. Point is, I have been spending a lot of time with him. You know how a few years back you said I had a crush – well it might be more than that now. I think I might be falling in love. He’s just so good, and sweet, and full of life! Despite the fact that we are running for our lives, I actually can’t remember the last time I was this happy. I want to tell him how I feel, but I don’t think he’s ready yet -_

 

The letter went on, but Alex skipped down to the signature.

 

_With love,_

_Felix Aberdeen_

 

Alex wasn’t breathing. This couldn’t be real. It had to be some sort of joke, right? A prank played by the enemy to trick him?

 

“Did you give me this?” Alex demanded, waving the letter in Felix’s face.

 

Felix snatched the letter from him, and read it, his eyes quickly scanning the page. He scowled for a moment, but then started to laugh.

 

“Alright, which one of you assholes is pranking me?” Felix demanded of the air. “Is it you, Leon? Because I will kick your ass,” he said.

 

“Did you write it?” Alex asked.

 

“It’s my writing, isn’t it? But seeing as I don’t know you, I have a hard time believing that I did,” Felix said. “And as much as I’d happily take you home and have my way with you, I can’t say as I’m in love with you either, as we just met,” he added.

 

“I feel like I know you though,” Alex said. “Like I know you love that jacket – you wear it all the time,” he said, pointing to Felix’s deep red coat, with the fuzzy collar. “You always do your hair the same way...but it curls...all soft when you don’t put product in,” he continued. “And your magic feels like ice? Why would I think that? Is that weird? I think that might be weird,” Alex said, rambling.

 

Felix was staring at him intently. He stood and walked over to Alex.

 

“Give me your hand for a moment. I want to show you something,” Felix said.

 

“And I’m just supposed to trust you?” Alex asked, crossing his arms.

 

“Don’t you already?” Felix asked, smirking.

 

Alex sighed. The weird thing was that he kind of did trust Felix. He had no reason to, no memories to back it up other than a gut feeling that Felix wouldn’t hurt him. He stuck out his right hand. Felix smiled, and gently ran his fingers along Alex’s palm, and he felt a shock of cold as ice crystals formed beneath his touch.

 

“That’s my magic you’re feeling,” Felix explained.

 

“How could I have possibly known that?” Alex asked. “I couldn’t tell you that about anyone else, so how do I know that about you?”

 

“Come with me. I can take us someplace safe, so we can talk,” Felix said. He slowly drew his hand away, and Alex shivered, but it wasn’t from the cold. Following a known criminal was a monumentally terrible idea, and yet he had every intention of doing it anyway.

 

“This is so stupid. I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this,” Alex muttered under his breath. “Alright, let’s do this,” he said.

 

“Are you sure? I could be planning to kill you,” Felix said.

 

“You aren’t. You wouldn’t hurt me,” Alex said with a certainty that he didn’t understand.

 

Felix laughed, but Alex could see it – the truth – that Alex was right. Felix took him by the hand, and teleported them out before either of them could change their mind. The world swirled around them, and when Alex finished blinking they were somewhere new.

 

“Where are we?” Alex asked.

 

“My flat...well, one of them. The one I use the least, that is under a pseudonym, and paid for remotely. It’s not quite impenetrable, but it’s close enough,” Felix said. He released Alex’s hand and headed to the small kitchen. “Coffee?” he asked.

 

“Sure,” Alex said. He loosened his tie, and unbuttoned his shirt. He had forgotten all about the collar, until Felix walked back in, and dropped the coffee pot. Fortunately it was still empty, so it was only glass that went flying everywhere when it shattered on the floor, and not hot coffee too.

 

“Where did you get that?” Felix demanded, pointing at him.

 

At first Alex wasn’t sure what he meant, too busy staring at the broken glass, but when he touched his neck in a nervous motion, he felt the metal under his fingers.

 

“I woke up with this,” Alex said. “Do you know what it is?” he asked.

 

“I know it has my magic all over it,” Felix said, sitting next to Alex. He leaned in close to inspect it. “You don’t know how you got it?” Felix asked.

 

“Not a clue,” Alex said.

 

“Interesting,” Felix murmured. “I have a theory, but it’s so crazy I can barely believe I’m thinking it. Do you mind if I do a small spell? It’s meant to help people with brain damage – not that you have that of course – but it might help you remember things that are forgotten or hidden from you,” he explained.

 

“Sure, I guess,” Alex said, even though it was another poor decision in what seemed like a long parade of them.

 

He felt a tingle of magic over him, and he closed his eyes. He took a deep breath, and when he opened them he was in a small room, with no door, and Felix was there pounding on the wall.

 

“What just happened?” Alex demanded.

 

“What do you mean ‘what just happened?’ - we’re in a trap. I explained this already,” Felix ground out as he kicked the wall.

 

“I was in you apartment like five seconds ago,” Alex said.

 

“Cute, Du Pont – but you’ve never been to my place despite my best efforts,” Felix said as he slid to the floor.

 

In a rush, Alex suddenly knew where he was – he had been trying to stop Felix from getting the magic rose. More than that though, he was keenly aware that there was something very off about the whole thing. He had done this before, but going to Felix’s apartment had been new – was he inside his memories? If he was, then why, and how did he get out?

 

“I hate small spaces,” Alex said, not even bothering to deny his discomfort this time around.

 

Felix seemed taken aback by that, and he sat up, staring at him with open curiosity.

 

“I’m surprised you’d admit that in front of me,” Felix said.

 

“We’ll I’m about to have a panic attack in -” he looked at his wrist where he didn’t even have a watch anymore. “All of five minutes. You’re going to find out one way or another,” Alex told him.

 

It was true too. He remembered the panic attack – the way the walls had closed in despite not moving at all. Felix reached into his jacket, and handed Alex the rose.

 

“Here, this will get you out,” he said, actually explaining this time.

 

Alex hadn’t noticed the first time around, but he could see it now. Felix was concerned for him – it was so clear. How had he missed that? He took the rose, but this time he popped into the room with the trap, and immediately let Felix out. Felix looked surprised, and relieved, but most of all pleased. There was a soft fondness to the smile he gave Alex as he climbed out of the trap.

 

“I knew you wouldn’t leave me there, but I thought it would take longer,” Felix admitted.

 

“Why did you let me out and not yourself? And no bullshit answers,” Alex added before Felix could speak.

 

“What can I say – I have a soft spot for you,” Felix said. “And if I’m being totally honest, I hate seeing you suffer.”

 

That made something click in Alex’s brain, a conversation from a different time. He looked away, chasing after the feeling. When he turned back to ask a question, he was back in his own apartment. Everything seemed grey, and he touched the wall, only for it to crumble and turn to ash in his hands. He sat in the ruin of all his worldly possessions as the memories flooded back to him. Images of Felix and him together, the soft smiles, the gentle touches, and shy glances. It was all there.

 

The book that had started everything was there too. Alex realized that he knew the answer to so many of his questions now. He was such an oblivious idiot. He laughed. Not only did he know what to do with Felix, he also knew how to break the curse. It was painfully obvious, but he finally got it.

 

“Thank you,” he called out to The Matriarch. “I know what to do now,” he said.

 

The apartment disappeared, and Alex was back, standing before the lake. Felix was still frozen in time. The Matriarch looked at him, and Alex bowed to her. He still felt her amusement, but it seemed only appropriate after everything she had done to help him figure out something that simple. He felt like maybe she was laughing as she disappeared back into the lake, and time resumed.

 

“What happened?” Felix asked as he stumbled slightly.

 

Alex couldn’t stop smiling, and he felt a tear slide down his cheek. He wiped it away, and walked over to Felix.

 

“Are you alright?” Felix asked, concerned.

 

“Never better actually,” Alex said with a laugh. “Do you think you could get my jacket from your secret place from here?” he asked.

 

“Uh, I might be able to summon it...why?” Felix asked.

 

“Just do it,” Alex said, giving him a playful shove.

 

Felix sat on the ground, and took a few deep breaths. A moment later, the jacket popped into the forest. Felix shook his head in confusion, picked it up, and handed it to Alex.

 

“I’ve been meaning to tell you something, and I can’t believe what how long it’s taken me to figure this all out,” Alex said, rifling through the pockets. He grabbed the rose, and held it in his hand, hiding it from view. “First, I want to give you something. I worked very hard on it,” he told Felix. “Close your eyes, and hold out your hands,” he said.

 

Felix closed his eyes, grinning the whole time, and held out his hands, cupping them together. Alex placed the rose in Felix hands, with the petals closed. He used a tiny sticking spell to make it stay just right so it would look perfect when he opened his eyes.

 

“Alright, you can look now,” Alex said.

 

Felix cracked his eyes open, and then blinked. He stared at the rose intently, and touched it with one hand, which made it bloom. He let out a small gasp of delight, and beamed at Alex, his entire face lighting up.

 

“Is this what I think it is?” Felix asked. “What a lovely bit of magic,” he said.

 

“It’s a replica of the rose, when we got trapped together,” Alex said, moving in closer so he could watch the flower bloom and close too.

 

“I would have thought that would be a terrible memory for you,” Felix said, quirking an eyebrow at him in question.

 

“It would have been, if it wasn’t for you. It’s the first time I trusted you. It’s the first time I think we really connected on a personal level. It was, in many ways, the start of us,” Alex explained.

 

Felix took the rose, and stuck it to his lapel with magic.

 

“It’s such a lovely gift,” Felix said. He was still staring at it, even though it was on his coat now. “Might I ask what prompted this?”

 

Alex blushed, but there was no turning back now.

 

“Felix Aberdeen,” he said, going for the full name. It caught Felix’s attention, and he looked at him. “You have been a thorn in my side since the first day we met. I have hated you, I have tolerated you, and I have even come to like you. As it turns out, I also am very much in love with you, and I don’t think one date is going to cut it anymore,” Alex said.

 

“What?” Felix asked. He looked almost disbelieving, and Alex understood why. If Alex had spent the last few years being in love with an oblivious fool like Alex, he’d be pretty shocked too that they had finally figured it out.

 

“I, Alexander Du Pont, am horribly, terribly, and dare I say permanently in love with you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to be with you forever,” Alex said. He made sure each word was enunciated clearly so that Felix wouldn’t miss a single one.

 

Felix eyes began to tear up, and he slapped a hand over his mouth.

 

“Are you alright?” Alex asked. It wasn’t the reaction he had expected.

 

Felix nodded, and removed his hand. His lip was trembling.

 

“Do you need a minute or -” Alex said.

 

Felix cut him off by pulling him into a kiss. Alex leaned into him, breathing him in. It felt amazing, and perfect and everything Alex wanted.

 

“I love you too,” Felix said, before kissing Alex again. “And I want to grow old with you, even though I have no idea how that will work,” he said, adding another kiss. “And I want us to adopt a million plants, and name each one,” he added, kissing Alex’s cheek this time. “And so many things that I can’t even put into words, but I want them all, and I want them with you by my side,” Felix said.

 

The air around them shimmered, as the curse finally completed itself. Their magic was still intertwined, there was nothing they could do to fix that, but their thoughts and feelings were once more their own. They would need to figure out how much was still connected, but there would be time to explore later. The curse was over, and that was what was important.

 

“Did we just break the curse?” Felix asked.

 

“Yeah, we did,” Alex said, grinning. “It was a happy marriage curse, meant to bring people together. The thing is, we _are_ together now, and have been for a while, we just didn’t fully realize it. By stating our love the bonds purpose has been fulfilled,” he explained.

 

“I guess now we just need to stop who ever is trying to kill us then?” Felix asked. “Seems almost easy after everything we’ve been through,” he said.

 

Alex laughed.

 

“There’s just one more thing I’d like to do before we go,” Alex said.

 

“Oh? What’s that then?” Felix asked.

 

“An Eternity Contract,” Alex said.

 


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex is finally able to find some peace.

“An Eternity Contract,” Felix said softly, almost breathing the word. “I – I mean I’m absolutely honoured, and please don’t let me talk you out of this, but are you sure, Alex? It’s...it’s a lot more than the contract I had you sign. This is...magicians don’t know what happens after death for certain, but they’re pretty sure the spirits are together even after death with this contract. That’s an awful long time to spend with the likes of me,” Felix said.

 

It suddenly hit Alex that Felix was insecure too, that he wasn’t always the brave face he put on. Somehow it made him relax to know that they were both nervous. He took Felix’s hands in his own, and looked him in the eyes.

 

“Felix, I know it took me actual years to figure out my feelings, and that it may seem like I’m just getting caught up in the moment, however, I would like to remind you that I have literally touched your soul. I may not know every detail of your life yet, but I know who you are at your core, and that is the man that I have fallen in love with over all this time. I know it won’t be easy, or perfect. I don’t want easy and perfect – I want you,” he said, laughing. Felix smiled, and Alex could tell he was getting emotional already. “I want the dramatic you, and the soft caring you, and the protective you. I want every aspect of you, even the ones you don’t like. I want you there, holding my hands, and I want to wake up with you spooning me, and I want to steal sips of your coffee, just because I can, because I know you’ll let me,” Alex told him, laying his feelings bare. “And I don’t need a bond to tell me that you are what I want. You’ve always been what I wanted, I just took a while getting there. And really, even if we don’t sign a contract together, my heart is yours. There’s no changing that,” he said.

 

Felix’s eyes were wet again, and he nodded, pulling Alex’s hands to his lips to kiss them.

 

“You sure do know how to make me cry in the best possible way,” Felix said, sniffling. He wiped his eyes, and smiled at Alex, soft and shy. Alex rather liked that he didn’t know everything Felix was feeling anymore. He seemed to notice things about him more now.

 

“You know, I never thought I’d fall in love. I had been alive for so long, and had been so dedicated to my magic that I think I forgot that there was so much more to life. You opened my eyes to a world of possibilities, and for the first time in my life I feel like there is more to me than just the things I can do. You helped to shape me into a man who would be worthy of your love, and if it so pleases you, my darling, I would be absolutely honoured beyond measure to sign a contract with you. I would happily give you my all, without regret,” Felix said, kissing Alex’s hands again.

 

Felix conjured a piece of paper that held the Eternity Contract, and a special pen that used their blood as ink. The contract was in some ways very similar to the bond they had shared through the curse – their lives would be tied together forever once they signed. Alex would live as long as Felix now, and their magic would still be bound – there were other details but those were the biggest ones. Alex picked up the pen, and signed the contract The page glowed along with his body, sealing his signature as his own, given of free will. Felix signed next, and the contract glowed once more. Alex could feel the binding of the magic, of their shared lives, and of their souls. He could feel Felix again, though it was softer, healthier, and more like a hint of what he was feeling and thinking, rather than being beaten over the head with it.

 

Felix beamed at him, and swept Alex up into his arms as the contract disappeared into the ether, its duty now done. Alex felt amazing, and he laughed as Felix spun him around.

 

“Now,” Alex said, as his feet touched the ground once more. “There’s only one more thing I’d like to do before we leave, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to, but I desperately want to try,” he said.

 

“Oh? What’s that, love?” Felix asked. Alex didn’t know why, but being called ‘love’ was making him giddier than usual.

 

“I want to have sex with you. I don’t want you to ask if I’m okay every five seconds, even though I deeply appreciate you doing that for me the last time we tried. I want you to have your way with me like before, and I don’t want to stop unless I absolutely have to,” Alex said.

 

He could see the apprehension on Felix’s face, and feel it tickling the back of his mind.

 

“Alright, but I want a safe word in place, so if you need to stop – to really stop – I know,” Felix said.

 

Alex nodded his head. He was scared still, and would be lying if he said otherwise, but his deep trust in Felix, in the knowledge that he would never, ever purposefully hurt him was able to override it.

 

“If I need you slow down I’ll say ‘yellow light’ and if I need to stop it’ll be ‘red light’,” Alex said.

 

“Perfect,” Felix agreed.

 

Felix pulled Alex into him, tilting his head up so Felix could kiss him. One finger lightly touched the collar on Alex’s neck, and Alex felt arousal building in him. Alex gasped into Felix’s mouth as shocks of pleasure went down his body, and straight to his cock, making him hard. He moaned into the kiss, and Felix grabbed his ass, squeezing it as he dragged him closer.

 

Alex felt a small spike of fear, and pushed past it, panting against Felix’s mouth.

 

“On your knees,” Felix said, tone commanding. Alex was bending down to kneel before he even had a chance to think about it. Felix’s hands carded through Alex’s hair for a moment, making Alex almost purr with how good it felt to be touched. All too soon Felix released him, and Alex whined from the loss. He was quickly silenced when Felix reached for his belt. Alex’s mouth watered, even as another spike of fear tried to derail him. He allowed himself to feel it, but still pushed forwards to help Felix get his pants off faster. Felix was hard, and Alex took him into his mouth before his mind could fully catch up.

 

Felix let out a loud groan of pleasure, and Alex couldn’t help but smile, humming around him.

 

“Fuck, you’ve got such a whorish mouth on you, it’s absolutely obscene,” Felix said, tracing over Alex’s cheek, where his cock was currently.

 

Alex felt a wave of arousal hit him, and shivered as Felix’s filthy words filled his mind. He moaned around his cock again, and Felix gave a tiny involuntary thrust into his mouth. Felix curled his fingers into Alex’s hair, and tugged, making him moan even louder as tiny waves of pain and pleasure overtook him. Felix thrust shallowly into Alex’s mouth, and he did his best to keep up as Felix fucked his face.

 

“Mm, as much as I would love to cum down your throat, I really want to fuck that pretty ass of yours,” Felix said, staring down at him. Felix was staying cool and calm, but Alex knew underneath it all he was going mad with want. It was making Alex feel powerful, knowing he was taking Felix apart with just his mouth.

 

Alex pulled off of Felix’s cock, and licked his lips, and waited for instructions.

 

A blanket appeared with a snap of Felix’s fingers, and Gods, but Alex loved his casual displays of power. Felix tossed the blanket at him.

 

“Spread that on the ground, and then I want you to strip, lie down on your back, and spread your legs for me,” Felix instructed. Alex hurried to follow his words, and lay the blanket out on the ground, and then pulled his clothes off as quick as he could, tearing the shear fabric of his shirt in the process. When he was naked, he lay down on the blanket, and spread his legs, his hard cock lying against his stomach. He blushed as Felix stared at him, like he was some sort of interesting specimen that he was going to either dissect or devour. It made him shiver with anticipation.

 

Felix came and stood between Alex’s spread legs, and just watched Alex while he stroked his cock. Alex couldn’t stand it – being watched without being touched – and was soon squirming, and whining with need.

 

“Felix, touch me,” he begged.

 

“Now why would I do that?” Felix asked, teasing him.

 

“Fuck, you’re so mean,” Alex said, groaning.

 

Felix ran his right foot up the inside of Alex’s thigh, and then knocked his legs further apart. He removed his clothes, folding them neatly, and Alex had to watch as he slowly revealed more and more skin. When he was naked, he knelt down between Alex’s spread legs.

 

“Do you want to know what I would love to do to you?” Felix asked, as placed biting kisses up Alex’s sides. “What I’ve been dying to do for years actually,” he said.

 

“No – what?” Alex asked panting. He yelped when Felix bit down hard on a soft spot. Felix licked over it, and smirked.

 

“I want to lock you away, and keep you all to myself. I know this great little spell that will keep you on edge all day, and won’t let you come for at least six hours. I would tie you to my bed,” Felix said, kissing Alex’s neck. “And leave you hard, and aching while I went to work, a vibrating butt plug up your ass,” he continued, kissing his way down Alex’s chest. He took a nipple between his lips, and sucked on it. Alex’s back arched off the ground, and he mewled out his pleasure. “So when I would come home after a long day, there you would be – the perfect present. You would be so hard, and desperate that you would _beg_ me to fuck you, and I would pull out the plug, and your ass would be ready for me, and I could fuck you until you screamed my name, and cried, and I wouldn’t stop until you were nothing but a sobbing mess,” Felix said.

 

Alex whined at the thought, of being tied up, and left on edge all day, hard and aching, desperate for Felix to touch him, but having to wait.

 

“Would you like that, love? Would you like being kept as my personal toy? I could have you follow me all day instead, and whenever I felt horny at work, I could go and fuck you. Maybe I would use your ass while I was in a meeting, just let my cock rest there, thrusting real slow. I’d gag you of course – sex toys shouldn’t talk after all,” Felix said, as he gently rubbed at Alex’s hole. “And you wouldn’t be allowed to cum until the end of the day. Then I would fuck you in front of everyone, so they would know who you belong to,” Felix whispered.

 

Alex was shaking, and whimpering, and if he could have spread his legs any further in invitation, he would have. Something wet touched his hole, and Felix finally slid a finger into him. It wasn’t nearly enough, and was more of a cruel tease than anything.

 

“Or maybe,” Felix said, continuing his list. “Maybe I would keep you all to myself, and keep you asleep while I’m not there, and only wake you up to be fucked. The perfect toy. I could keep you in a drawer even, and take you out whenever I felt like it. You wouldn’t have to worry about anything at all, other than pleasing me. Your entire existence would be narrowed down to pleasure,” he said, teasing Alex’s hole. He removed his finger, and Alex felt the head of his cock. Alex’s breathing was coming in short, needy gasps, and he bucked his hips, trying to get Felix to hurry up.

 

“Patience love. This is on my terms, remember?” Felix asked.

 

Alex whined, and ran his hands over his chest, playing with his nipples to at least get some sort of stimulation other than Felix’s slow tease. Felix grabbed his hands, and forced them to his sides, and Alex writhed in frustration, trying to break free.

 

“None of that, or I’ll have to punish you again,” Felix said.

 

Alex did his best to stop moving. He still remembered his last punishment, and while it had been wonderful, he wanted something different today.

 

“That’s much better,” Felix said, petting Alex’s hair. Then, without any warning, Alex felt Felix’s cock press against him again, and then pushed inside. He gasped, the feeling too much and not enough. He tried to stay still, but he was quivering with need. All he could do was twist his fingers in the blanket, and hold on for dear life.

 

“You are so delightfully tight,” Felix said, breathing through the intense arousal. Neither one wanted to cum yet.

 

Felix made a sharp thrust, and Alex cried out as pleasure filled him. He had missed this so much. He was so hard, and each bit of filth falling past Felix’s lips was sending him deeper into arousal. Felix lifted Alex’s hips up, bringing them closer, and he held him tight as he started to fuck him.

 

“Ah! Gods, that feels so good!” Alex keened. He felt like he was going to lose his mind in the best way. Felix’s fingers were digging in to him, and he hoped they would leave new bruises for him. He tried bucking his hips again, but Felix just held him still, as he fucked him hard, not letting Alex squirm away even a little. Alex lay there, and took it all, Felix’s cock filling him up with pleasure.

 

“I want you to scream for me,” Felix said as he pulled Alex down hard on his cock.

 

Alex let out a wail of pleasure as Felix changed angles, screaming Felix’s name as he grazed Alex’s prostate. He was so painfully hard, and he could feel that he was close, but he didn’t know if he could cum without permission, and honestly didn’t really want to even if he could.

 

“Please,” he begged.

 

“Please what?” Felix asked. “I won’t know what you want unless you use your words,” he said.

 

Alex blushed, but forced the words out anyway.

 

“Please, may I cum? I want to so badly,” Alex cried out.

 

“Good boy,” Felix crooned. “But I think something is missing in that question – I wonder what it could be?” Felix asked.

 

Alex’s mind raced, wondering what he could have left out. He had said please, and asked for what he wanted. What more was there? He was having a hard time thinking with Felix fucking him hard and fast. Suddenly, Felix stopped, and Alex blinked up at him in confusion, whining and bucking his hips to try and get him to move.

 

“You know what I want to hear. You said it the very first time we had sex. Do you remember?” Felix asked, holding absolutely still.

 

Alex was going to go insane if he didn’t move. He tried to remember the first time, and like lightning, the words struck him. He shook, and blushed all over. He knew the words, and as much as he didn’t want to say them, he was to desperate not to.

 

“Please, Master, make me cum,” he begged.

 

“Beautiful,” Felix said, kissing him. “Fuck, I love it when you call me that,” he groaned. “You have no idea what it does to me.”

 

That gave Alex an idea. He bit his lip, hoping he wouldn’t get in trouble for what he was about to do, but he couldn’t resist the idea of that much power over Felix.

 

“Master, I need you,” he pleaded. “Please, fuck my ass, and make me cum, _Master,”_ he said, drawing out the word, like he was saying something truly obscene. He felt embarrassed by the words, but it was also incredibly arousing to know that it was so exciting for Felix, and that he could provide that pleasure with just his words.

 

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing, you little minx,” Felix said, laughing. He didn’t seem upset though. He started to fuck Alex fast and hard again, and Alex screamed, as his body went taut with pleasure. He was so close, he just needed a little more. His back was arching off the ground, and Felix lifted him a bit, and kissed his stomach. Alex tangled his fingers in Felix’s hair, his hips shaking as he sought out friction for his cock. There was only air, and he rutted up in a futile attempt to find release.

 

“Master, please, I need you,” Alex begged, shame far from him now.

 

Felix groaned, and Alex felt the spark of magic as Felix placed his hand on his chest, and the magic arched up to the collar and down through Alex’s body, and it was like an eruption of pleasure. Alex’s eyes rolled back and he came, screaming Felix’s name. Magic was sparking over his skin, and it was dragging pleasure from him, even as he came down from his orgasm, and he twitched beneath Felix’s touch. Felix had cum too, and was shaking above him.

 

Alex pulled him down until Felix was lying on top of him. He wondered briefly what would happen if he called Felix ‘Master’ outside of a sexual setting, and made a mental note to try it later.

 

“Well, that was quite the experience,” Felix said.

 

Alex let out a surprised laugh.

 

“It was exactly what I needed right now,” Alex said. “Thank you,” he added, kissing Felix.

 

“Mm, you were perfect,” Felix said.

 

“I think I found some peace today,” Alex said. “I know it won’t always be like this, but for right now, I feel really, _really_ good,” he told him.

 

They lay on the ground, kissing each other, and just basking in the afterglow for a while. Eventually they would have to move, but it wasn’t right that second. Alex curled up against Felix, and lay there, listening to his heart beat, and knowing that his was beating in sync with it. That though made him smile.

 

“So, what next?” Alex asked.

 

“We should probably start with clothes,” Felix said, laughing as they lay there in the sunlight. Felix reached for his jacket, so he could pull it on top of them like a blanket, when the journal fell out of his pocket. It was glowing. Someone had sent them a message.

 

“Gods, what now?” Felix grumbled, picking it up. He flipped it open, and Felix smiled, and then frowned, and then scowled, glaring at the page.

 

“What is it?” Alex asked.

 

“It’s Cecelia – she got the journal back - and she knows who the other person is who’s after us, and you aren’t going to like it,” Felix said.

 

 


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex gets some bad news, and learns a new spell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're getting close to the end now! I'm very excited but also sad. I don't want to finish XD

Felix handed Alex the journal.

 

_Ha! The Lady had this delivered to me! She sent a note long the lines of ‘Fuck The Council and everyone who works with them.” Which I must say – I rather share those sentiments. Thank the gods you don’t work for them anymore, Felix. So that’s the good news._

 

_The bad news is that I now know who is your other hunter is, and I don’t know how to say this delicately so I’ll just come out with it (also sorry Alex, I know this is going to hurt)._

 

What did that mean? What was going to hurt? Alex kept reading.

 

_It’s the head of the The White Witches, Martin Drumound_

 

What? No, that wasn’t possible. He would never – there was no way his boss would – why? Why would he do that? It didn’t make any sense! He kept reading but there was no explanation, just a lot of questions. Alex stared at the book in disbelief before snapping ti shut.

 

“She’s wrong, right?” Alex asked. “Please tell me she’s wrong.”

 

“I don’t know where she got her information, so she may very well be wrong,” Felix said. Alex could hear the ‘but’ that he was holding back.

 

“You think she’s right though, don’t you?” Alex asked.

 

“If she is, then we have a big problem on our hands,” Felix said. “Can you think of any reason at all as to why he would attack you?” he asked.

 

“It’s possible that he was going after you,” Alex said. “I mean, who am I? I’m nobody. Just a grunt,” he said.

 

“When was the last time you saw him?” Felix asked.

 

“I went to borrow some books – he said I needed to improve my spell casting abilities,” Alex said.

 

“Some books? Wait...was that book you got that curse from one of those books?” Felix asked.

 

Alex felt like someone had stabbed him in the stomach. How had he not thought of that sooner. How had he not questioned Drumound owning that book?

 

“By the gods, that was _his_ book. But, you said it was dark magic! Why would he have that? White Witches aren’t supposed to do that sort of thing,” Alex said, his mind racing for an explanation.

 

There was a piece they were missing, but one thing seemed clear: he had tried to have Alex killed to keep his dark magic practice a secret.

 

“He didn’t want anyone to know about that book. That’s why they tried to kill us,” Alex said. It made the most sense. If anyone knew Drumound was using dark magic as the leader of the White Witches – not only would he be ruined but he would probably be arrested and the White Witches would be disbanded.

 

“If that’s the case then real question is why was he doing dark magic to begin with? He obviously didn’t mean for you to get a hold of it, or he wouldn’t have fire bombed your apartment. Like you said, White Witches have no place doing dark magic, so it’s not surprising he’d try to hide it...this sounds like more of a thing that The Council would do,” Felix said.

 

“Do you think they’re connected?” Alex asked. He hadn’t considered them being connected, but if they were then they had a big problem on their hands.

 

“There’s only one way to know for sure,” Felix said. “We have to hunt down our hunters.”

 

“You want to go to him?” Alex asked. It seemed like a such a simple, yet terrible idea. He wasn’t sure it would work though. “He’s not exactly a push over you know,” he told Felix. “He’s a lot stronger than anyone else in the White Witches.”

 

“I know, but I think that we can take him, if we work together,” Felix said. He pulled another book out of his jacket, and Alex recognized it as the one on wild magic. He must have grabbed a few things when Alex wasn’t looking, or maybe he had some sort of portal in his jacket. Knowing Felix, either was possible.

 

“You want to use wild Fae magic on him?” Alex asked. “Isn’t that...dangerous? Every time we’ve used it we’ve almost died.”

 

“Yes, I know, which is why we need to study it. We can’t control it fully, but it’s much calmer now that it’s being held in both of us. Besides, I don’t plan on using it necessarily – it’s more like an ace up our sleeve,” Felix said.

 

Alex nodded. He could see how that might be a good idea. If they ran out of options, it would be better to have some control than none at all. Besides, the magic seemed to do what it wanted anyway, so understanding it would be safer for everyone in theory.

 

“We need someplace we can practice without risking burning everything to the ground,” Alex said.

 

Felix grinned, and started to pull his clothes on.

 

“I know just the place,” Felix said.

 

The place was Felix’s secret sanctuary. They teleported to Hong Kong, and he made the door again, and they slipped inside, disappearing from the world.

 

“I have a room that I use to practice new spells in,” Felix said, leading Alex deeper into the space. It was past the books, and down a flight of stairs. Alex wondered just how big Felix had made his hide out. At first it had seemed like a small contained space, but then it would expand as they got to new areas, each room growing into existence.

 

“This place is huge,” Alex said.

 

“I needed something that would fit all of my needs, so I created a space that would allow for growth of new rooms. Here we are!” Felix said, coming to stand before a heavy looking metal door.

 

Felix did a quick spell, and the door groaned open. It was incredibly thick, and slow moving. Once it had opened, they walked inside, and Alex could feel the magic in the room, the air humming with energy. There were marks on every surface from spells hitting hard against the walls, ceiling and floor. The room had clearly been well used.

 

“Alright, so I think that you should be the one to cast it, and I can anchor,” Felix said.

 

“Wait, what?” Alex stammered. “Felix, you’re the better caster – by far – and I’m -” Alex started.

 

“Your boss thinks you’re a terrible spell caster – which isn’t the case by the way – so he won’t expect you to attack. He’ll be focusing on me because he’ll think I’m the bigger threat. That gives you an opportunity to catch him off guard,”Felix said.

 

“You don’t think I’m a terrible spell caster?” Alex asked.

 

“Of course not! You’re inexperienced. That’s all. However, the spells you do know, you know well, and they are solid, and controlled. Since we’ve been together you’ve shown a lot of growth too. You can conjure now! You were struggling with that, but look what you made,” Felix said, pointing to the rose on his lapel. “I have full confidence that you’ll be able to use the wild magic without hurting either of us. I said when we met that your magic felt like sunshine. You’re best suited to fire magic, not me,” he assured him.

 

“You really think I can do this?” Alex asked. He needed to be sure.

 

“I know you can,” Felix said with such certainty that Alex couldn’t help but feel a little more confident in himself.

 

“Alright. I guess I’m learning some new spells today,” Alex said.

 

“That’s the spirit!” Felix said. “Now, I will stay here to anchor you, so if it gets out of control, we can pull you back in, okay?” he told Alex.

 

“Okay. Pass me the book,” Alex said, as he lowered himself to the ground.

 

Felix pulled out the mystery book, and handed it to Alex. He flipped to the back, and read through the various spells. He didn’t want to learn too many. Maybe just one or two. It was better to have one really well known, and controlled spell, than six barely controlled ones that would leave a lot of room for error.

 

The Death’s Halo spell kept jumping out at him. The name of the spell was making him nervous, but it seemed the most complete of all of them. It also had very clear instructions. He read it over, and over until he felt like he had a good understanding of what to do.

 

“I’ll need a target to practice on,” Alex said.

 

Felix did another small spell, and three targets popped up out of the floor. Alex shot him a grin. Felix really had thought of everything when building this place. Alex stood up again. He needed to stand to do this spell.

 

Alex planted his feet to give himself some stability. He played the hand motions over in his mind. They weren’t terribly complex, but he didn’t want to mess them up. Who knew what that would do, and he had experienced enough messed up magic now to last him a life time. More caution wasn’t a bad thing. The real struggle would be to pull the fire out without losing control. When he felt ready, he closed his eyes, and breathed.

 

_Breathe in._

 

_Breathe out._

 

Alex was in his mind. He pictured the sun, burning wild in space with it’s explosive energy. He imagined their shared magical core as the centre of the sun, the gravity holding the wild fire in place, keeping it centred. He could almost feel it – the heat of the Fae magic – and then it was there, dancing around him. It was almost playful, though Alex knew quite well that it could bite.

 

“Come play with me,” he said.

 

He didn’t know if the magic understood what he meant, but it seemed to glow brighter, and then disappeared. When Alex looked down, he saw that his hands were on fire, but that he was still in control. It seemed the magic wanted to play today.

 

Alex opened his eyes, back in the room, and his fingers were on fire there too, though it wasn’t burning him at all. Even his wooden hand seemed fine. That was a good start. He breathed, and raised his hands towards the target. He slowly moved his hands, doing the gestures for the spell. As he finished, he felt a whoosh of power shoot through him, and out his hands, as flames shot at the targets head.

 

Flames erupted around the target, setting it’s head on fire, creating a halo of flames. Alex suddenly understood why it was called “Death’s Halo”. He watched the target’s head burn into nothing.

 

He couldn’t use this spell. It would kill anyone he used it against. That felt way too much like dark magic. He released the flames back into himself as he started to panic.

 

“Are you alright?” Felix asked, coming to stand next to him. “You’re control was amazing, by the way...but you’re upset right now,” he noted.

 

“If I use this on anyone, they’ll die,” Alex said.

 

“Yes, that’s sort of how battle magic works,” Felix told him.

 

“I don’t know if I can do this,” Alex said.

 

“Love, look at me,” Felix told him, turning Alex’s body so they were facing each other.

 

Alex looked up at him, and pouted.

 

“I know you don’t want to hurt anyone, and my hope is that we won’t have to use this at all,” Felix said. “However, if they decide to try to hurt us, to hurt _you_ , I will not hesitate to stop them - using whatever means necessary to do so. Now if you don’t want to fight, that’s perfectly fine, and I will understand, but I need you to know that _I will_ fight,” he said. “I will cut them down without a second thought.”

 

Alex thought about that, about Felix getting hurt, about him fighting alone. As much as he hated the idea of hurting someone, he knew that he would lose his mind if anyone ever hurt Felix. It just felt wrong to plan ahead, and practice a spell that would kill.

 

“Do you want to learn defensive magic instead?” Felix asked. “I can teach you shield magic,” he offered.

 

Shield magic was good, and it didn’t feel wrong to learn that...but it wouldn’t save them if Felix fell. It would only hold off attacks until Alex fell too from exhaustion. He needed to know both, defensive and offensive magic. He didn’t like it, but if it would save them then he would learn Death’s Halo, and any other spell he needed to protect them too.

 

“You can teach me shields after I’ve mastered this spell,” Alex said at last. Felix gave him a light kiss.

 

“It’ll be okay,” Felix said. Alex certainly hoped so.

 

It was frightening to let go of his old ideals, even just a little, but he knew that ultimately, he was creating new ones, and his new ideals involved protecting Felix. He had been right, if someone tried to hurt them, Alex knew that he would end up fighting, and that meant learning battle magic. That also meant that people would get hurt because of him, and maybe even die. He needed to accept this if he wanted to protect them. Besides, there was a good chance he wouldn’t have to fight at all. It was more of a precaution, and it was better to be prepared, than to walk in and be slaughtered because he was too afraid of hurting someone.

 

Alex nodded. He could do this.

 

“Alright,” Felix said. “Now, do it again.”

 

Alex spent several hours casting the spell, over and over, destroying the targets. By the time he was finished, he was panting, and shaking from using so much energy. He could also cast it with barely a second thought. He flicked his wrist, pointing at the last target, and was pleased when it too burst into flames almost instantly.

 

“This looks like a good time to stop, and have a rest,” Felix said.

 

“Do you want to practice spells while I rest?” Alex asked.

 

“If that’s alright with you,” Felix said.

 

Alex nodded as he drank a glass of water Felix had handed to him.

 

“Good, because there’s something I’ve been wanting to try,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”

 

With that Felix left the room, and Alex sat there alone, sipping his water. It was weird not to feel the strong pull of the bond between them, but also nice to not be in pain whenever one of them got too far apart. Felix came back a minute later with his sword from the day before.

 

“A sword?” Alex asked. Weapons weren’t really good against magic. What was he going to do with a sword?

 

“I was thinking about wands, and I thought to myself, ‘why can’t I use something different to focus my spells’? When I saw this, I had a brilliant idea to try cast magic through it,” Felix said. He pulled the sword free of it’s sheath, and sliced through the air with it.

 

“So it would cast spells as you used it?” Alex asked.

 

“Basically. I would use it as a point of focus to cast from. So -” Felix said, taking a fighting stance. He called up a set of targets, and then sliced through the air with an elegant swoop. Ice shot out of the sword as it was moving, directed by the flow of the arch, and it cut clean through the heads of the three targets.

 

“Holy shit,” Alex said. “What else can you do with that?” he asked. It was exciting to watch, and he was very curious about what this technique would be capable of.

 

“I’m not sure yet, but there’s a viewing room on the other side of that wall,” Felix said, pointing to a door that Alex would swear wasn’t there even five seconds prior. “You should be safe in there. I don’t know how much control I’ll have yet,” he explained.

 

Alex stood, and walked to the door, pulling it open. Inside was a cozy room with a couch, and some food and drinks. Alex sat down, and the door closed, the one wall lighting up. Suddenly he could see the room and it was almost like watching it through a window, but safer. He grabbed a sandwich and started to eat it as he watched.

 

Felix did a series of movements, what Alex assumed were basic fighting forms, and with each cut, magic would flow out to attack, decimating all the targets in seconds. Felix then stabbed one of the targets, and Alex watched in fascinated horror as it exploded outward, lightning bursting out of the tip of the blade.

 

With a snap of Felix’s fingers, new targets arrived, and this time they were moving. Felix’s sword whizzed through the air, never once touching a target, but each of them fell anyway, his magic cutting through them. He snapped his fingers again and larger targets appeared, this time with weapons. They were moving, and attacking him, and Alex watched with bated breath as Felix danced between them, slicing them open with his sword, and hitting them with magic. Alex let out a cry of alarm as one appeared behind him, and was about to attack, only for Felix to stab backwards into it’s stomach, making it explode.

 

Felix reset the targets, each time making it more challenging somehow, and Alex watched him fight. He was truly breathtaking, as he flowed between his enemies while simultaneously destroying them with ease. No wonder he was so good at fighting, if this was just practice. Now he knew why the White Witches always lost against him. Alex had often been told that he was the weakest link in the White Witches field team, that he needed to improve. Seeing Felix, he realized that they were all weak, save for the top most members who rarely left the office anymore. He decided right then that once they were safe he would dedicate himself to improving his skills so even if he couldn’t be as good as Felix, he could maybe keep up at least.

 

Alex could see that Felix was getting tired, and opened the door back into the room.

 

“You gonna take a break?” Alex asked as Felix killed the last of the targets.

 

“I think I like fighting like this,” Felix said, grinning at him. “And yes, I am in desperate need of a break.”

 

Alex went to hug him, and realized how sweaty Felix was, which made him aware of how sweaty he had been. They were gross, and needed another shower, but they still had to practice shields.

 

“I vote that we rest for a bit, maybe shower, and then do shields after. Sound good?” Alex asked.

 

“Sounds perfect,” Felix agreed.

 

 


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one more chapter after this folks!

They spent a few days learning spells, and shields, waiting for the teleportation orb to reset. By the time it did, Alex was ready to punch Martin Drumound in his face. The more he thought about what Drumound had done, the more angry he got. He needed to stay calm though if he was going to use the wild magic. Alex was now sitting in front of the orb, waiting for it to glow, letting them know it was ready to be used again, so they could leave.

 

“Cecelia says that he’s been spotted in London,” Felix said, as he walked into the room with the journal. “Which means he’s probably at the head office. It’s not an ideal place for a show down,” he added showing the journal to Alex.

 

“Ideal or not, I’m tired of waiting,” Alex grumbled, reading her message over. If Drumound was in London then that was where Alex was going.

 

“Patience, love. We don’t want to rush in and die before we get there,” Felix argued. That was true. Alex sighed, and snapped his fingers, a small ball of flame lighting just above them. He had figured that one out accidentally while practising and had kept doing ti to calm his nerves. “You’ve gotten quite good at that,” Felix noted. He was smiling at Alex like he was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen - it was making Alex blush. He snapped his fingers and the flames disappeared.

 

“You helped,” Alex said. He was about to say more when the orb lit up, bathing the room in light. “It’s ready!” Alex shouted, even though Felix was right there. He was too excited to contain himself. “Can we go now?” he asked, bouncing with energy.

 

“You know if we go now we’re going to have more people to fight, right?” Felix asked.

 

“I was thinking about that – when we get there I can say that I caught you and am bringing you up to the boss for questioning! We can just walk right in! No fighting until we get to Drumound,” Alex said.

 

Felix made a humming sound as he contemplated Alex’s idea.

 

“I like the idea, however what do we do if they’re on the look out for you. I can’t see Drumound risking letting you get that close, or even talking to anyone about him,” Felix said. That was a good point.

 

“I could try that knock out spell you showed me?” Alex suggested. “I don’t know if we’ll be able to cast it fast enough...can we cast it from a distance? There’s a thick wooded area surrounding the one side of the building. We might be able to hide in the trees and attack from there,” he said.

 

“That could work,” Felix said. “How well do you know the building?” he asked.

 

“Not great. It changes all the time, to keep intruders out. I used to work on the first floor for a bit, but I’ve heard that the higher up the building you go, the weirder it gets,” Alex said.

 

“Wonderful. Alright, I’m going to go pack a few more items, because I now feel woefully under-prepared, but once I return we can leave,” Felix said.

 

Alex gave him a thumbs up, and decided maybe he could practise his new spells some more. Felix had shown him how to call out the targets, and he did so with a flick of his wrist. Three targets popped up, moving slowly, in a unique pattern that was different every time. He threw up a shield, and then cast the knock out spell. Two of them feel, but the third one managed to dodge. Alex swore, and cast it again, this time hitting it. He did this over and over until Felix got back several minutes later with their back pack.

 

The pack looked empty, and Alex poked it with a finger.

 

“There is stuff in there, right?” Alex asked.

 

“Of course! I just used the same sort of magic that I use to create extra rooms here, to create more space in the bag. Then I add a feather weight charm, and voila! An almost weightless bag, full of cool stuff,” Felix said as he opened it up. Inside it looked almost like a beehive, with little cubbyholes full of useful items, all of it neatly organized. Felix closed it back up once Alex had gotten a good look, and then he offered Alex his hand. “Shall we go now, darling?” Felix asked.

 

“Yes, finally!” Alex said, grabbing hold of the offered hand. Felix grabbed the orb, and they were whisked away in a blink, out of the sanctuary, and off to London.

 

They landed in a copse of trees, just outside the White Witches headquarters. Felix grabbed Alex, and pushed his head down below the bushes there, hiding them from a wandering patrol. Once the witch had passed, they popped back up, and ran to the edge of the tree line.

 

“I don’t remember security being quite so intense last time I was here,” Felix said, pointing to four heavily armed guards blocking the entrance. Alex could see the faint outline of shield magic surrounding them and the building.

 

“When were you last here?” Alex asked.

 

“About a month ago, when I was definitely not stealing from them,” Felix said, making the lie obvious. He grinned at Alex. They really needed to have a talk about breaking laws, and why you shouldn’t do it, but that would have to wait.

 

“You’re right, the security is a lot higher,” Alex said, going back to the original point. “I don’t think the knock out plan will work. The shields are pretty damn heavy,” he said.

 

“Do we go with the original plan of trying to convince them you’ve taken me prisoner?” Felix asked.

 

Alex shook his head.

 

“We need to disable the shields first. If we walk out there, and they don’t trust me, they will attack, and we’ll end up out in the open with no cover,” Alex said.

 

“Good point. I’m guessing the source of the shield is from higher up,” Felix said, pointing at the spire on the building as a bird flew past it. “Birds keep flying up and over, but they can go past the spire, which means not all of the building is covered. My best guess is that they are using stones to maintain and amplify the shields from inside the spire. If we can get up there, then we can shut it down,” he said, explaining his idea.

 

“How do we get up there?” Alex asked.

 

“Have you ever wondered what it would be like to fly?” Felix asked, grinning.

 

“Not really...how would you manage that anyway?” Alex asked.

 

Felix pulled out a book from the bag, and flipped it open to a page that showed a man using magic to lift a truck. Alex looked at it, and noted that it was quite similar to a levitation spell, only it could go higher, and was apparently easier to control.

 

“You want to toss me up there? That sounds kind of dangerous,” Alex said. If Felix was caught in the middle of casting Alex would fall to his death. They could miss, they could be seen, they could be caught before he even got there. A million things could go wrong.

 

“Do you have any other ideas?” Felix asked.

 

Alex really didn’t. He sighed and nodded.

 

“Fine, but don’t drop me,” Alex warned.

 

Felix gave him a quick peck on the lips.

 

“I won’t, I promise,” Felix said.

 

Alex braced himself, tucking himself nice and small so he’d be less likely to be seen, and a moment later he felt their magic tingling over his skin as a strange sense of weightlessness filled him. Felix lifted him high into the air, and Alex had to work very hard not to scream. He didn’t like heights, and he was very high, and it was making him a bit woozy. He slowly lowered towards the spire, and as he got closer, he reached out for it, pulling himself in. He felt the magic release him, and he was left there, hanging onto the spire as his feet stood on top of the shield, making it look like he was floating in mid air still. It was the worst idea ever.

 

There was a small opening into the spire he noted, and Alex eased his way over to it, and stuck his head in. Inside and down below were a bunch of glowing stones, and Alex could see that Felix was right – the shield was coming from the spire. He’d need to creak them to stop the shield. There was a blasting spell that Alex had been practising, and he braced himself, hoping he wouldn’t fall while casting it. That would be a terrible way to go.

 

He reached into the spire, and placed his hands close to the stones, and then let loose the spell. The stones cracked and shot clean out of the spire, and the shield came down, the humming of magic dissipating. Unfortunately it wasn’t a very subtle move, and soon the guards were looking around, and it didn’t take long for them to spot Alex.

 

“Shit!” Alex swore as a spell narrowly missed him as he leapt onto the roof. “Shit, shit, shit!” he yelled as he ran along the rooftop, spells zipping past him. He needed to get down, and they hadn’t planned that far. On the plus side, he was too busy running for his life to worry about heights.

 

“Alex!” Felix yelled. He was out of the trees, his sword out, spells flying left and right as he cut through the air. “Get inside! I’ll find you!” he told him.

 

Alex thought that was a terrible idea.

 

“Not without you, dumbass!” he yelled back. He knew a levitation spell. He could do this. Alex closed his eyes, ran, and then leapt off the roof. Felix was screaming his name, but he had to block everyone out. He cast the spell, and touched his chest, hoping it would be enough to keep him from falling to his death.

 

He opened his eyes, and he was floating, slowly sinking towards the ground. He’d done it! Felix let out a loud ‘Fuck me! You are an idiot!’ before going back to the fight. Once Alex was close enough, he released the spell, landing near Felix, and joining him in battle.

 

“You’re insane,” Felix yelled at him. Felix grabbed a guard and stabbed him with the sword. The man crumpled to the ground, and then screamed as his body was torn apart. It was horrible and gruesome, and the other guards paused in their attack.

 

“Next time come up with an idea on how to get me down then,” Alex said. Alex snapped his fingers, and sent a small fire ball at a guard’s face, the woman screaming as it lit her hair on fire. She ran around, flailing as she tried to put it out.

 

They other two guards had a look on their faces, and Alex decided to try something.

 

“You know they don’t pay you enough for this shit, right?” Alex asked them.

 

The woman had finally put her hair out, and had run away, and the other two exchanged looks with each other. He could sense their hesitation. One of their coworkers was nothing but a pile of steaming flesh now, and the other one probably had third degree burns on her head and face.

 

“Go home to your loved ones,” Alex said, hoping to stop anyone else from dying. “These people aren’t worth dying for,” he added.

 

The guards seemed to agree, as they nodded at Alex, and then ran off into the woods. Felix was already rifling through the dead guard’s things, and came up smiling, holding a metal sigil. It would release the wards to let them in.

 

“Let’s go,” Felix said, running up the stairs towards the front door.

 

Felix used the sigil to open up the wards, allowing them to step through. Once they were in though, things got a lot more complicated. They were faced with more guards, but these ones didn’t have shields, so they were able to use the knock out spell this time.

 

“I know there’s a direct passage up to Drumound’s office somewhere,” Alex said. “But I don’t know where it would be anymore.”

 

“Maybe we should ask someone,” Felix suggested. Alex knew from by how he said ‘ask someone’ he meant interrogate and threaten and possibly maim someone. Felix, never one to do things in a simple or easy manner, kicked in the door to the main lobby.

 

“Hello witches! Did you miss me?” Felix said, his voice booming into the space. There were a ton of people going from one place to another, some just milling around, or talking gossip. They all stopped and looked at Felix. Alex poked his head around the door and could see various looks of horror and disbelief, as well as a few looks of wanting vengeance for past battles they’d lost. Felix grabbed Alex, and brought him into the lobby too. “I’ve taken this one hostage, and if you don’t want him to die, you’ll tell me where your boss is. I need to have a chat with him,” Felix told the crowd.

 

That was his plan? There was no way that would work!

 

“Please, everyone knows Du Pont went dark side. The boss already told us that earlier this week,” one man shouted back. The crowd murmured their agreement, and a few people inched closer. One person sent a hex flying at Felix, and just narrowly missed. Alex suddenly knew why they always lost – they all had terrible aim.

 

“Alright,” Felix said, unimpressed. “You want to play? Let’s play,” he snarled. He released Alex, and drew his sword. A few people laughed, as Felix swiped the air, only for them to scream as four people fell down, entombed in ice.

 

“What the hell -” one person stammered.

 

“Get them!” yelled another.

 

Everyone seemed to fly into motion at once. One person sounded an alarm, the lights dimming, and flashing red. A handful of people advanced on them, and Felix leapt aside, easily avoiding their attacks. Alex threw shields around them, keeping them safe as Felix went on the offensive.

 

Felix swung the sword, clearing a small path in their attackers, and then moved in, grabbing one witch and impaling him on the sword. Alex could feel his heart pumping with adrenaline, and he worked hard to keep the shields in place. One woman kept throwing spells at them, and each one was taking it’s toll on his ability to keep the shields up.

 

“You’re doing wonderfully, darling!” Felix called out to him. “Keep it up! I know you can do it!” he said, as though he had felt Alex’s fears.

 

Alex nodded and called on their magic, and reinforced the shields. Felix had already taken down a good chunk of the crowd, when a door opened, and out walked two members of the upper echelon of the White Witches. The were ready to fight. Alex felt a spike of fear go through him, but Felix was grinning.

 

“About time they sent someone worthy,” Felix said. Felix threw up his own shields, and looked at Alex. “Time to fight now, love,” he told Alex.

 

Alex nodded, and cast a shield around himself, lowering the ones he had made to protect them both. Everyone who had still been standing cleared the room, not wanting to get in the cross fire of the bigger fight. One of the higher ups – Arleton – was nudging the other – Liza – and was pointing and laughing at Alex.

 

“He brought Du Pont as back up!” Arleton said, mocking them. “That’s pretty damn pathetic. He can barely cast, let alone fight!” he said, wheezing.

 

“Yes, Alex wouldn’t have been my first choice,” Liza agreed with a voice made of ice.

 

That was just rude. Alex would show them though. He could cast now, and he could fight. Felix was drawing his sword but Alex wanted them to go down at his hands. He was tired of being underestimated. He ran forward with a yell, casting a spell as he went.

 

“Alex!” Felix called out, chasing after him.

 

Alex raced between Arleton and Liza, touching them both as he they tried to draw back. They hadn’t been expecting him to charge head first like that. When nothing happened right away, they began laughing again. Felix had stopped and was watching, a small, wicked grin spreading across his face. He knew what the spell was – he had taught it Alex after all.

 

“Are we playing tag now?” Arleton asked with sneer. Liza was looking at where Alex had tapped her, and gasped when she saw it – the mark Alex had left.

 

“Yeah, and you’re it,” Felix said, laughing.

 

“What -” Arleton started to ask. Liza was already casting a counter spell to remove the mark, when Alex snapped his fingers. A line of crackling magic sliced through the air, cutting them across their bodies, using the marks as a point of entry. Liza got hers off just in the nick if time, but Arleton fell to the ground, a look of shock the last thing on his face as he died.

 

 

“Well done, Alex. Now,” Felix said, turning to Liza. “If you could be so kind as to let Mr. Drumound know that we are here to see him, that would be lovely,” he told her. She was glaring daggers at him. Alex knew she wouldn’t stop until she was dead, or at least unconcsious.

 

“That was a lucky shot. You won’t get lucky again,” she snarled, her magic lashing out at them. Alex felt the attack hit his shields, and was surprised when they actually held. Felix made a tsking noise, and started walking towards her. Alex wondered why she wasn’t attacking more, when he noticed that her arm was bleeding. Apparently she hadn’t quite escaped his attack altogether. She was holding it to her body, blood spilling over her fingers.

 

“It’s not luck, it’s skill. Even you ought to recognize that,” Felix said. He raised his sword. “Now, tell us how to get to Drumound’s office,” he said.

 

“Or what? You’ll kill me? I’ll die before I help the likes of you,” she spat.

 

“I must say, I admire your dedication. It’s poorly placed, but that’s your problem, not mine,” Felix said.

 

Alex could tell something was off. She should have attacked or something, but she wasn’t. Alex saw her fingers twitching. She was preparing an attack, but Alex wasn’t going to let her. He cast the knock out spell, and watched her slump to the ground, the spell she was about to cast nullified.

 

“Well, that was anticlimactic,” Felix said, as he sheathed his sword.

 

“She was about to cast. I figured it would be better to just stop her before she got the chance,” Alex said.

 

“Quite right. You were wonderful, by the way,” Felix said, pulling Alex into a hug.

 

“So were you,” Alex said, kissing him.

 

The elevator made a dinging noise, and they both startled, and looked over. A janitor was standing in the elevator looking horrified at the mess of bodies on the floor.

 

“I am not cleaning this up,” he said. Alex took in the carnage they had left. He didn’t know any of the people that were down, the White Witches being a large organization.

 

“Hey, can you take us to Drumound?” Felix asked the man.

 

“Sure, so long as you don’t kill me,” the man said.

 

“We won’t. We just need to see Drumound,” Alex assured him.

 

The man stared at them, sizing them up. He nodded after a minute.

 

“Alright. Then we need to go back up,” the man said.

 

Felix and Alex exchanged a look, and then got into the elevator. The ride up felt long, and awkward. Felix didn’t seem to mind, as he just casually wiped blood off his sword using a cloth from their bag. He even started to sing at one point, but Alex stopped him with a sharp look. He felt too nervous for happy singing. They reached the top, and the janitor got out of the way so they could get out.

 

“Thank you!” Alex called out to him. The man just pushed the close-the-door button faster.

 

The top floor was silent, and looked empty, save for a light underneath the main office doors. There came the sound of people talking. Alex suddenly felt nervous. It was like they were expected. Sure, they had probably heard the commotion from the lobby, but this seemed too prepared. Felix didn’t seemed bothered though. He walked up to the doors, and pushed them open.

 

Alex wished he hadn’t.

 

Inside the room was Drumound, and standing next to him was Councillor Aldred of The Council. What were they doing together?

 

“My, my, I thought I smelled your treacherous stench,” Felix said, leaning against the door frame.

 

“And you can now see what your stubbornness has brought me to,” Aldred said.

 

“Come now Councillor, you act as though we aren’t old friends already,” Drumound said, sneering at Aldred.

 

Aldred harrumphed, and crossed his arms, his stern face even more cold than usual.

 

“I think you misplaced a book, Minister Drumound. I also believe that Councillor Aldred would like it back,” Felix said. Felix pulled a book out of the air, and Alex almost had to do a double take. It looked like the book he had cast the curse from, but he was pretty sure that one had been burned up. Was it a duplicate? Drumound stared at it with hungry eyes. Alex held his breath. Would Drumound admit to what he’d done? Would Aldred?

 

“You weren’t supposed to know about the book,” Drumound said. “No one was except for Aldred,” he told them. “Now, give it back,” he said.

 

“Absolutely not. You tried to have us killed,” Felix accused.

 

“Of course. It was only a matter of time before you figured out what I had done. I had to eliminate you,” Drumound agreed. “Du Pont wouldn’t even have been missed!”

 

“Gee, thanks. And what exactly did you do?” Alex asked. “Besides dark magic?”

 

No one seemed to wanted answer that question. Felix sighed, and looked between Aldred’s stoic face, and Drumound’s flustered one.

 

“You sold them out, didn’t you?” Felix asked. “You sold the White Witches to The Council, in exchange for cheap power,” he said.

 

Alex didn’t want to believe that. He had thought the White Witches to be above corruption. It was one of the reasons he fought so hard for them, why he had spent years trying to improve his magic, so he could help protect people from The Council and other groups like them, not so they could just throw it all away and join them.

 

Drumound turned to Alex.

 

“Surely you can understand, boy. We were always losing, we’re so much weaker than them, and The Council wants what we want – peace. They just have different methods. We’re really on the same team, and we’ve been limiting ourselves to weak magic!” Drumound was shouting now. “Now we can all make the world a better place!”

 

Alex didn’t know what to say to that. What could he say? He’d done some morally questionable things himself after all. Maybe not as morally grey as lying to an entire organization into thinking they were doing good and following the law, when really they were breaking it, and joining up with criminals who called themselves vigilantes, all while in the name of more power.

 

“You think The Council does good?” Felix asked, laughing. “You think anything this man has done was for good?” he asked, pointing at Aldred. “He doesn’t care about anyone but himself. Everyone knows that, except you apparently, and if you think the he won’t find an opportunity to get rid of you, and steal your power, then you’re fooling yourself even more than I was,” Felix spat.

 

Alex felt it, a humming in the air, and he felt Aldred’s power gathering. He was going to cast. Alex cast a shield around them, concentrating it mostly on Felix. Aldred fired, a bolt of searing lightning heading straight for Felix. The shield took the brunt of it, but it still managed to push through. Felix fell to the ground his body convulsing with the spell. Alex felt fear clawing at him, followed by a cold anger.

 

“Well done Aldred!” Drumound was congratulating the man.

 

Felix had stopped moving, but was still breathing. Alex turned his attention back to the two men. Aldred was looking at Alex now. Alex knew he wouldn’t be able to do the full spell for Death’s Halo, but it was his most powerful spell. His mind raced for another spell – anything that could bring down at least one of these men before he was killed.

 

He had an idea. He snapped his fingers, and the small flame burst out, Alex calling on the wild magic, and letting it fill him, and pour out into his hands. Without hesitating, he threw it at Aldred, who wasn’t prepared for something wihtout any build up, and Alex watched as he caught on fire. He began to scream, but the wild magic was not so easily put out. It also wasn’t being controlled, and it jumped from Aldred, to Drumound in less than a breath. Both men were screaming as their bodies were burned. Even the room was catching on fire, and Alex realized he needed to get them out.

 

Grabbing Felix’s unconscious body, he levitated it to the window. He smashed the wiindow with another spell, took hold of Felix and the bag, and jumped, hoping his levitation trick would work again. He cast it, and they floated down, though faster this time. He looked back for a moment as they landed. Flames were enveloping the building, and people were running out of it already, screaming. Alex started walking away, not turning back again. He needed to get Felix away from the fire.

 

The flames were spreading too fast. They wouldn’t make it before the fire caught up to them. Alex had never teleported before. He knew the spell, but had never tried it. He also knew that if they didn’t get escape now, they would die. He grabbed onto Felix, closed his eyes, and pictured an alley way. He imagined the twisting feeling, and the world rushing by.

 

“Please work,” he prayed.

 

He held his breath, and cast the spell. The world disappeared, and he felt it all twisting, and then they landed with a thud in an alleyway in London. Alex gasped, and fell to his knees, Felix falling with him.

 

“Holy shit, I did it!” he said, as he tried to catch his breath. “Felix, I did it,” he cried. Felix was still unconscious, and he needed to hide them, but he couldn’t seem to move. He lay down on top of Felix, and then the world faded to black.

 

 

Alex gasped awake.

 

“Alex? Alex! It’s alright, love! We’re safe now!” Felix said, holding him. Alex looked around in a daze, and realized he was back in the sanctuary. Felix must have used the London door to get in.

 

Alex turned in Felix arms, and pulled him into a kiss.

 

“Are you alright?” Alex asked. “That spell hit you so hard,” he said, remembering the fight. He could still picture the lightning.

 

“Not as hard as it would have without your shield. I would have died for sure. I’m amazed the shield didn’t crumbled when the spell hit. Aldred is known for hitting hard,” Felix said.

 

“But you’re alright?” Alex asked again.

 

“Yes, love. I’m perfectly fine. I woke up in an alley way, with you passed out on top of me,” Felix said. He sounded amused. “Are you alright? What happened?” he asked.

 

“I used wild magic and accidentally set the entire building on fire and then teleported us out and then blacked out from using too much magic,” Alex said in a rush.

 

“But you’re alright?” Felix asked again, echoing Alex.

 

“Yeah, I’m good – great even. I probably killed a ton of people, and burnt down a building and almost died, but I’m alive, and you’re alive, and there’s no one left to hunt us...I hope,” Alex said. It came out sounding a bit hysterical, but he was too tired to care. “Do you think we’ll be arrested?” he asked.

 

“They can try,” Felix said. “But I doubt they will. The government rarely gets involved when magic users die. We might have to deal with people like Liza coming after us, but I’m not too worried about her right now.”

 

Alex made a humming sound as he thought about that.

 

“Felix?” Alex asked. “Am I just as bad as Drumound? I mean I kind of gave up my morals bit today...not all of them, but some of them...does that make me bad?”

 

“First, no one is all good or all bad so you cans top worrying about that. Second, Drumound was in a position of power and was abusing the trust of the people below him – you are not doing that – so if that’s your measure, then no, you aren’t bad. Third, I have found that morals are very subjective, and sometimes right and wrong aren’t very clear. I didn’t want to stop Drumound because he was a bad leader, but because he helped to hurt someone I love. Aldred’s involvement didn’t even really surprise me. I don’t know if killing them is right, or wrong. All I know is that losing you from the world is wrong to me, and if making sure that doesn’t happen makes me a bad person then I’m perfectly okay with that,” Felix said.

 

Alex thought about that. He didn’t really understand his own beliefs anymore. It was hard to say what was right and wrong when you loved someone and they were in danger. He knew on some level killing Drumound and Aldred was wrong, and on another level he was glad they couldn’t hurt anyone else.

 

Alex hugged Felix, and snuggled into him, listening to his heart beating. It was a reminder that he was alive. There were so many thoughts swirling around in his head, but he was too exhausted to deal with a single one of them right then. They could all wait another day. Felix was petting his hair, and started singing softly, the song he had sung when they had been at Cecelia’s house. Before he knew it, Alex had drifted off to sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short glimpse into their life three months later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for coming on this journey with me. I have enjoyed writing this story so much, and reading your sweet comments, and kudos. I appreciate all of the love and support!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this last chapter!! <3
> 
> also if you want to find out about future writing projects, I'm on tumblr @adamthestoryteller

It had been three months since his life had changed from the curse. Alex was waiting outside his therapist’s office for Felix to come pick him up. It had been two months since he had started seeing the therapist. Once they knew they were safe, and weren’t going to be arrested, Felix had gotten him a number for someone in the magic community who could help him work through the trauma. It had been going well so far, though he knew he had a long way to go still.

 

Alex flicked through his new cell phone, and saw that there was a message from Cecelia about their dinner later that night. She wanted him and Felix to pick up some bread apparently. Laudy was coming over for a visit, and Cecelia wanted everything to be perfect, and that included fresh bread from their local bakery. Alex smiled – Cecelia’s crush on the former Duchess was cute.

 

It was lunch time now, which would give them some time to relax. Felix had been working on some secret project lately that he wouldn’t tell Alex about, and was always busy except for on Alex’s therapist days. He always made time for that, and would take the whole day to spend with him. It was sweet, and also helpful. Alex wasn’t always in the best of shape after therapy, and sometimes he needed to be wrapped up and held for a while. This wasn’t one of those days luckily.

 

Felix’s car rounded the corner, and Alex smiled. Felix pulled to a stop right next to the curb, and got out, running around the car to give Alex a hug.

 

“How are you doing today, my love?” Felix asked.

 

“I am quite well,” Alex told him, laughing as Felix peppered his cheek and jaw line with kisses.

 

“Excellent, because I have a surprise for you!” Felix said. Alex could feel Felix’s excitement which had him even more curious as to what this surprise could be.

 

“Does this have to do with your mystery project?” Alex asked.

 

“It does indeed,” Felix said. “And I think you’ll like it,” he added.

 

Now Alex was feeling excited. What could it be? He let Felix open the car door for him, and slid inside. He did up his seat belt as Felix rounded the car and slid into the drivers seat.

 

“Should I close my eyes?” Alex asked.

 

“Not yet,” Felix said, doing up his won seat belt.

 

Felix drove away, and down the street. Alex realized after a few minutes they were heading home. After everything was over, they had bought the neighbouring house to Cecelia’s, and now they spent a lot of time between their homes. That wasn’t where he would have thought they’d go for this surprise. Had it been hiding in their house the entire time?

 

“Is the surprise at home?” Alex asked.

 

“You’ll see,” Felix said, refusing to give anything away.

 

They pulled up into their driveway, and Felix parked the car. They got out, and Felix rushed around and covered Alex’s eyes.

 

“I want this to be a real surprise,” Felix said.

 

Alex was sure it would be. He had no idea what Felix had been doing for the last three months, other than ‘working on a project’.

 

“Now, keep your eyes closed, and no peeking,” Felix said, lowering his hands. Alex kept his eyes shut, and allowed Felix to take his hand and walk him around. He was pretty sure that they were going inside the house when Felix made him step up, their front door having quite the lip to it. He had tripped more than once on the damn thing. At least this time he managed not to. He wasn’t sure after that where they were going, but Felix led him through their home, and eventually stopped. He positioned Alex, moving him into the perfect spot.

 

“Alright, you can open your eyes now,” Felix said.

 

Alex opened them, blinking as he tried to adjust to the sudden increase in light. He was standing in front of a door that he didn’t remember seeing before. It was in a rarely used corner of the house, next to the stairs in a little alcove. It was an old looking wooden door, and Alex found himself itching to open it. What could be behind it?

 

“So,” Felix began. “I know that we talked about opening a business, but that we were too remote where we are. I also know that neither one of us wants to move, so I made this for you in an attempt to have the best of both worlds. I hope you like it,” Felix said.

 

Alex didn’t know what that meant, but there was only one way to find out what Felix had done, and that was to open the door. With a trembling hand, Alex reached for the handle, and pushed the door open.

 

The door opened into an office, covered in greenery. Directly across from the door was a huge window that showed the sun shining off of a city-scape. Alex didn’t know which city it was, and he wasn’t sure it mattered. His breath caught in his throat as he took in the view.

 

“You should go in,” Felix whispered, giving him a light nudge.

 

Alex couldn’t stop staring and looking about. There was so much to take in. He stepped into the office, and could see that there were two large wooden desks. On one of them was a wrapped box with a bow on it. Alex saw the name plates, and one was for him, and the other for Felix. Alex ran a hand over his new desk, the wood smooth beneath his fingers. He walked over to the plants that seemed to cover the wall next to Alex’s new desk. He touched their leaves, and yes, they were alive.

 

Next to Felix’s desk was a board with bits of paper on it, and Alex walked over. They were numbers, and bits of information – jobs perhaps? Alex wandered around more, and saw that there was a small waiting room, with a comfy looking couch and some chairs, as well as a front door to their new office. It had their names on it withe the words ‘Magical Investigators’ underneath. They had decided that what they really wanted to do was to help people, like them – people who had been cursed or gotten into trouble. Alex wanted to make the world a better place, but he wanted to do it on his own terms this time, with someone he loved and trusted.

 

Off to the one side was a washroom, and on the other side was a small kitchenette, and a coat room next to that. The whole office was in light, warm colours, with bold art work and Alex thought it was perfect.

 

“This is amazing,” Alex said at last.

 

“You like it then?” Felix asked.

 

“I _love_ it, Felix. It’s so perfect!” Alex told him. He ran over to where Felix was standing, and pulled him into a hug, and then kissed him. “Thank you,” he said.

 

“The door to our home will only open for the people we choose to let in, so Cecelia could come through for example,” Felix explained.

 

“We should ask her to work here too! She’s so good with people, and you know she hates her job,” Alex said.

 

“I’m glad you said that,” Felix said. “Because I may have asked her if she was interested in working with us, and she may have said yes.”

 

“We’ll all get to work together?” Alex asked, hardly able to believe it.

 

“Isn’t it great?” Felix said.

 

“It’s perfect. You’re perfect. I love you so much! This is such a wonderful surprise,” Alex said, squeezing Felix in another hug.

 

“You didn’t open your other gift yet,” Felix said, laughing.

 

Right! There was a box on Alex’s new desk. Alex shuffled them over, refusing to let go of Felix just yet, and picked up the box, pulling it in between them. He popped off the bow, and took off the wrapping. He slid the lid off, and gasped. Inside was the tiny cactus Alex had seen in that nursery window on their totally-not-a-date date. It had a small flower, and Alex picked it up out of the box, and held it in his hands, and started cooing at it.

 

“Oh, you precious baby! How did you get here? I’m so happy to see you again,” he told the plant.

 

“I went back and bought it, and then put it in a short stasis so it would be perfect when you opened the box,” Felix explained.

 

Alex felt tears prickling in his eyes, and didn’t try to stop them from falling.

 

“I love it. I love all of this, and I love you,” Alex said, as he cried. He was grinning too, and his face hurt from smiling so hard.

 

“I love you too, darling. I’m sorry this kept me so busy the last little while, but I hope it was worth it,” Felix said, kissing Alex’s forehead.

 

“It was, thank you,” Alex said.

 

“I also paid back that restaurant while i was buying the cactus,” Felix told him.

 

Alex beamed at him, and pulled him into a kiss, holding the cactus to the side so it wouldn’t get hurt.

 

“You beautiful, wonderful man! I am so proud of you,” Alex said.

 

“Well, I did pinkie promise, and as you know pinkie promises are sacred,” Felix said. He was smiling too, and Alex could tell that he was pleased by the praise.

 

The sound of the door opening startled them, and they turned to see a timid looking man poking his head around the front door.

 

“Hello?” he called.

 

“Hi there! Come on in!” Alex called back.

 

The man shuffled in, and Alex could tell he was nervous. Alex put the cactus down on his desk, and went out to the front room to greet the man.

 

“Can we help you?” Alex asked. The man took off his hat, and looked around as though he expected someone to jump out at him.

 

“I hope so,” he said softly. “I think I’m being targeted by a group of magical miscreants,” the man whispered.

 

“Oh? Which ones?” Alex whispered back. After their battle with the White Witches and Councillor Aldred, the White Witches had been shut down, and The Council had scrambled to find a replacement for Aldred. Because the two biggest groups were in shambles, it allowed a lot of smaller groups to rise up in their place.

 

“La Resistance,” the man said.

 

Oh dear. La Resistance was an extremist group that believed that non magical folks should be eradicated. They were quite the problem. Somehow though, Alex didn’t think that was the real culprit behind this man’s problems. It was a just a hunch though, so he’d need more information first.

 

“Well, we can certainly look into it,” Alex said. “Anything else?” he asked.

 

The man shuffled in place and seemed very embarrassed.

 

“I have a rash...but I think it might be a curse,” he said.

 

“Well, we can always take a look at that too, and see if it’s magical in nature,” Alex said. He took the man into a small side room, and closed the door, casting a few light privacy charms. He took one look at the so called curse, and knew right away that it wasn’t magical.

 

“You’ll be wanting to see a doctor for that I’m afraid,” Alex told him.

 

The man seemed almost disappointed.

 

“Now, if you want to come into the next room, I can get your information, and we can look into who’s been bothering you, alright?” Alex said.

 

By the time the man had finished giving Alex all the details, over an hour had passed, and Alex was certain that Mr. Langly wasn’t being harassed by a hate group, but rather by an annoyed neighbour trying to scare him. Still, they would investigate it, and let him know for sure. Alex walked him out, and when he closed the door, he heard a loud knocking on the other side. He opened it, but there was no one there, only an envelope with Felix’s name on it. Alex picked it up, and brought it over.

 

“You have mail,” Alex said.

 

“Already? That’s weird. I haven’t even officially opened the office yet,” Felix said. He took the envelope from Alex, and grabbed a letter opener. He sliced through the envelope, and pulled out a piece of paper.

 

“What is it?” Alex asked.

 

Felix was reading, and his frown was getting deeper. Suddenly his eyebrows shot up, and he looked surprised.

 

“It’s a letter...from my mother,” Felix said. He seemed to be almost in a daze, and just stood there staring at the letter. “I think she wants to meet me,” he added.

 

Holy shit. That was not what he’d been expecting at all.

 

“Is it real?” Alex asked, looking over his shoulder. The writing was in an old form of English, and was a bit difficult to read.

 

“No idea. I don’t even know how to respond to this – there’s no return address or anything,” Felix said.  


“Do you want to meet her?” Alex asked.

 

“I don’t know. It was always me and my father. He’s gone now, of course – being human and all. I...I don’t know what to do. She abandoned me, but if she hadn’t then my life would be entirely different. I can’t even say that I hate her anymore,” Felix admitted. “After all, it allowed me to meet you,” he said, poking Alex’s nose. Alex grabbed hFElix’s hand, removing it from his face.

 

“Well, you don’t have to decide right this second, do you?” Alex asked,

 

“No, I suppose I don’t,” Felix agreed.

 

“Then sleep on it for a day or two, and then we can figure out how to send a reply,” Alex told him.

 

“Alright,” Felix said.

 

“For now, we need to go pick up some bread so Cecelia can impress Laudy with her extravagant meal planning skills. It’s too bad she didn’t have time to make her own bread – hers is the best,” Alex said.

 

Right as he said that, his phone buzzed, and he opened it up to see another text from Cecelia.

 

“Never mind. She got tired of waiting for us, and has decided to make it after all,” Alex said, laughing. “She’s so cute,” he added. Then another text came in.

 

“She also says ‘I hope you liked the surprise’,” Alex read. “She knew?” he asked.

 

“I had to tell someone, and no one keeps a secret better than Cecelia,” Felix said.

 

“True,” Alex agreed. Cecelia was like a vault. One that once closed wouldn’t open until the appointed time.

 

“So, shall we head back home, and relax for a bit before supper?” Felix asked. “Maybe have a quick snack, since we missed lunch?”

 

“That sounds perfect,” Alex said.

 

Felix took him by the hand, and they walked back into their home, the city now closed behind a door. Alex leaned against Felix’s shoulder, and let out a happy sigh. He felt at peace, and excited for the future, and despite all the pain he had to work through sometimes, he wouldn’t trade it for anything. It was strange to think that all of this happened because of an accident.

 

“Are you happy, love?” Felix asked.

 

“Extremely happy,” Alex told him. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy in all my life.”

 

“Me neither – and that’s saying something,” Felix said, laughing. It really was saying something. Felix was old compared to Alex. It was sort of humbling to know that the happiest Felix had ever been was with Alex.

 

“Do you think we’ll live happily ever after?” Alex asked, laughing. It wasn’t meant to be a serious question, but he could feel Felix’s slight shift in mood.

 

“I think we will live, and we will be happy, and sad, and angry and every emotion there is. Personally, I look forward to experiencing each of them with you. To me that’s more important,” Felix said, kissing Alex on the lips. “Does that answer your question?” he asked.

 

“You know, I think it does,” Alex said.

 

Felix was right of course. It didn’t matter if every moment was happy and perfect, so long as they were together, they would face it all.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Once Upon A Dream](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15577626) by [itspixiesthings](https://archiveofourown.org/users/itspixiesthings/pseuds/itspixiesthings)




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